וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־שָׁאוּל אֹתִי שָׁלַח יְהוָה לִמְשָׁחֳךָ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־עַמּוֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע לְקוֹל   15:1 דִּבְרֵי יְהוָה׃

1Sam. 15:1   And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel.  So now listen to the sound of the words of the Lord.”

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת פָּקַדְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה עֲמָלֵק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂם לוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ בַּעֲלֹתוֹ   15:2 מִמִּצְרָיִם׃

1Sam. 15:2   “Thus says the Lord of hosts:  ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set against him in the way on his coming up from Egypt.’

עַתָּה לֵךְ וְהִכִּיתָה אֶת־עֲמָלֵק וְהַחֲרַמְתֶּם אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְלֹא תַחְמֹל עָלָיו וְהֵמַתָּה מֵאִישׁ   15:3

  עַד־אִשָּׁה מֵעֹלֵל וְעַד־יוֹנֵק מִשּׁוֹר וְעַד־שֶׂה מִגָּמָל וְעַד־חֲמוֹר׃

1Sam. 15:3   ‘Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that is his, and do not have compassion over him, but kill both man and woman, both child and suckling, both ox and sheep, both camel and ass.’”

וַיְשַׁמַּע שָׁאוּל אֶת־הָעָם וַיִּפְקְדֵם בַּטְּלָאִים מָאתַיִם אֶלֶף רַגְלִי וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אֶת־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה׃   15:4

1Sam. 15:4   And Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and there were ten thousand men of Judah.

וַיָּבֹא שָׁאוּל עַד־עִיר עֲמָלֵק וַיָּרֶב בַּנָּחַל׃   15:5

1Sam. 15:5   And Saul went as far as the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־הַקֵּינִי לְכוּ סֻּרוּ רְדוּ מִתּוֹךְ עֲמָלֵקִי פֶּן־אֹסִפְךָ עִמּוֹ וְאַתָּה עָשִׂיתָה חֶסֶד עִם־כָּל־בְּנֵי   15:6 יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲלוֹתָם מִמִּצְרָיִם וַיָּסַר קֵינִי מִתּוֹךְ עֲמָלֵק׃

1Sam. 15:6   And Saul said to the Kenite, “Go, withdraw, get down from the midst of the Amalekite lest I destroy you with him.  But you exhibited kindness with all the children of Israel in their coming up from Egypt.”  So the Kenite departed from the midst of Amalek.

וַיַּךְ שָׁאוּל אֶת־עֲמָלֵק מֵחֲוִילָה בּוֹאֲךָ שׁוּר אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי מִצְרָיִם׃   15:7

1Sam. 15:7   Then Saul smote Amalek from Havilah of your going to Shur, which is opposite Egypt.

וַיִּתְפֹּשׂ אֶת־אֲגַג מֶלֶךְ־עֲמָלֵק חָי וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָם הֶחֱרִים לְפִי־חָרֶב׃   15:8

1Sam. 15:8   And he captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but all the people he utterly destroyed by the edge of the sword.                                                                          [Return to Esth. 3:1]

וַיַּחְמֹל שָׁאוּל וְהָעָם עַל־אֲגָג וְעַל־מֵיטַב הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר וְהַמִּשְׁנִים וְעַל־הַכָּרִים וְעַל־כָּל־הַטּוֹב וְלֹא   15:9 אָבוּ הַחֲרִימָם וְכָל־הַמְּלָאכָה נְמִבְזָה וְנָמֵס אֹתָהּ הֶחֱרִימוּ׃

1Sam. 15:9   But Saul had compassion, and the people, on Agag, and on the best of the sheep and the oxen and those of second birth, and on the lambs, and anything that was good, and they were not willing to utterly destroy them, but every useless or feeble animal, it they utterly destroyed.

The reference to those of second birth is thought to imply that they were somehow better than the firstlings.

וַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל לֵאמֹר׃   15:10

1Sam. 15:10   Then the word of the Lord came about to Samuel saying,

נִחַמְתִּי כִּי־הִמְלַכְתִּי אֶת־שָׁאוּל לְמֶלֶךְ כִּי־שָׁב מֵאַחֲרַי וְאֶת־דְּבָרַי לֹא הֵקִים וַיִּחַר לִשְׁמוּאֵל וַיִּזְעַק   15:11 אֶל־יְהוָה כָּל־הַלָּיְלָה׃

1Sam. 15:11   “I am ‘sorry’ that I set up Saul to be king, for he has turned away from following Me, and he has not upheld My word.”  And it was a grief for Samuel, and he cried to the Lord all the night.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם שְׁמוּאֵל לִקְרַאת שָׁאוּל בַּבֹּקֶר וַיֻּגַּד לִשְׁמוּאֵל לֵאמֹר בָּא־שָׁאוּל הַכַּרְמֶלָה וְהִנֵּה מַצִּיב לוֹ יָד   15:12 וַיִּסֹּב וַיַּעֲבֹר וַיֵּרֶד הַגִּלְגָּל׃

1Sam. 15:12   And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning and it was told to Samuel saying, “Saul came to Carmel and behold, he set up for himself a monument, and he went around and he passed on and went down to Gilgal.”

וַיָּבֹא שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שָׁאוּל בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה לַיהוָה הֲקִימֹתִי אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה׃   15:13

1Sam. 15:13   And Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you by the Lord.  I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל וּמֶה קוֹל־הַצֹּאן הַזֶּה בְּאָזְנָי וְקוֹל הַבָּקָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ׃   15:14

1Sam. 15:14   But Samuel said, “Then what of the bleating of this sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I am hearing?”

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל מֵעֲמָלֵקִי הֱבִיאוּם אֲשֶׁר חָמַל הָעָם עַל־מֵיטַב הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר לְמַעַן זְבֹחַ לַיהוָה   15:15

  אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְאֶת־הַיּוֹתֵר הֶחֱרַמְנוּ׃

1Sam. 15:15   And Saul said, “They brought them from the Amalekite when the people had compassion on the best of the sheep and of the oxen, in order to sacrifice to the Lord, your God, but the rest we utterly destroyed.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־שָׁאוּל הֶרֶף וְאַגִּידָה לְּךָ אֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֵלַי הַלָּיְלָה ויאמרו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ   15:16 דַּבֵּר׃

1Sam. 15:16   Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be still and I will tell you that which the Lord said to me at night.”  And he said to him, “Speak!”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל הֲלוֹא אִם־קָטֹן אַתָּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ רֹאשׁ שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָתָּה וַיִּמְשָׁחֲךָ יְהוָה לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־   15:17 יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

1Sam. 15:17   And Samuel said, “Are you truthfully so small in your eyes?  You are head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you to be king over Israel.”

וַיִּשְׁלָחֲךָ יְהוָה בְּדָרֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ וְהַחֲרַמְתָּה אֶת־הַחַטָּאִים אֶת־עֲמָלֵק וְנִלְחַמְתָּ בוֹ עַד כַּלּוֹתָם   15:18

 אֹתָם׃

1Sam. 15:18   “And the Lord sent you on a journey and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, Amalek, and battle with him until you have consumed them.’”

וְלָמָּה לֹא־שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל יְהוָה וַתַּעַט אֶל־הַשָּׁלָל וַתַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה׃   15:19

1Sam. 15:19   “So why did you not listen into the voice of the Lord?  Instead you rushed to the spoil and did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּקוֹל יְהוָה וָאֵלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחַנִי יְהוָה וָאָבִיא אֶת־   15:20 אֲגַג מֶלֶךְ עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵק הֶחֱרַמְתִּי׃

1Sam. 15:20   And Saul said to Samuel, “But I did listen into the voice of the Lord and went on the journey on which the Lord sent me and brought Agag, king of Amalek, and I utterly destroyed Amalek.”

וַיִּקַּח הָעָם מֵהַשָּׁלָל צֹאן וּבָקָר רֵאשִׁית הַחֵרֶם לִזְבֹּחַ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בַּגִּלְגָּל׃   15:21

1Sam. 15:21   “But the people took from the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the Lord, your God, in Gilgal.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל הַחֵפֶץ לַיהוָה בְּעֹלוֹת וּזְבָחִים כִּשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל יְהוָה הִנֵּה שְׁמֹעַ מִזֶּבַח טוֹב לְהַקְשִׁיב   15:22 מֵחֵלֶב אֵילִים׃

1Sam. 15:22   And Samuel said,

                          “Is there delight for the Lord in burnt offerings and in sacrifices,

                          As in listening into the voice of the Lord? 

                          Behold, obeying is better than sacrificing,

                          To give heed, than the fat of rams.”

כִּי חַטַּאת־קֶסֶם מֶרִי וְאָוֶן וּתְרָפִים הַפְצַר יַעַן מָאַסְתָּ אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה וַיִּמְאָסְךָ מִמֶּלֶךְ׃   15:23

1Sam. 15:23   “Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft,

                          And stubbornness is idolatry and teraphim.

Because you rejected the word of the Lord, so He has rejected you as king.”

This is not the first mention of teraphim, pagan idols.  They were also possessions of Laban, Rachel’s father, which she stole from him when Jacob and his family left to return to Canaan (see Gene. 31:19).

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל חָטָאתִי כִּי־עָבַרְתִּי אֶת־פִּי־יְהוָה וְאֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ כִּי יָרֵאתִי אֶת־הָעָם   15:24

  וָאֶשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם׃

1Sam. 15:24   Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened into their voice.”

וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא אֶת־חַטָּאתִי וְשׁוּב עִמִּי וְאֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַיהוָה׃   15:25

1Sam. 15:25   “And now pardon, please, my sin and return with me so I can give worship to the Lord.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־שָׁאוּל לֹא אָשׁוּב עִמָּךְ כִּי מָאַסְתָּה אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה וַיִּמְאָסְךָ יְהוָה מִהְיוֹת מֶלֶךְ    15:26 עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

1Sam. 15:26   But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and He has discarded you from being king over Israel.”

וַיִּסֹּב שְׁמוּאֵל לָלֶכֶת וַיַּחֲזֵק בִּכְנַף־מְעִילוֹ וַיִּקָּרַע׃   15:27

1Sam. 15:27   Then Samuel turned to go, but he grabbed hold on the skirt of his robe and it tore.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו שְׁמוּאֵל קָרַע יְהוָה אֶת־מַמְלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ הַיּוֹם וּנְתָנָהּ לְרֵעֲךָ הַטּוֹב מִמֶּךָּ׃   15:28

1Sam. 15:28   And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a friend of yours who is better than you.”

וְגַם נֵצַח יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יְשַׁקֵּר וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם כִּי לֹא אָדָם הוּא לְהִנָּחֵם׃   15:29

1Sam. 15:29   “And yea, the Perpetual One of Israel will not lie, and will not repent, for He is not a human to repent.”

וַיֹּאמֶר חָטָאתִי עַתָּה כַּבְּדֵנִי נָא נֶגֶד זִקְנֵי־עַמִּי וְנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשׁוּב עִמִּי וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֵיתִי לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃   15:30

1Sam. 15:30   Then he said, “I have sinned.  Now honor me, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may pay homage to the Lord, your God.”

וַיָּשָׁב שְׁמוּאֵל אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ שָׁאוּל לַיהוָה׃   15:31

1Sam. 15:31   So Samuel returned behind Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל הַגִּישׁוּ אֵלַי אֶת־אֲגַג מֶלֶךְ עֲמָלֵק וַיֵּלֶךְ אֵלָיו אֲגַג מַעֲדַנֹּת וַיֹּאמֶר אֲגָג אָכֵן סָר מַר־   15:32 הַמָּוֶת׃

1Sam. 15:32   Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag, king of Amalek, here to me.  And Agag was led to him in chains.  And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death has gone.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר שִׁכְּלָה נָשִׁים חַרְבֶּךָ כֵּן־תִּשְׁכַּל מִנָּשִׁים אִמֶּךָ וַיְשַׁסֵּף שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־אֲגָג לִפְנֵי   15:33 יְהוָה בַּגִּלְגָּל׃

1Sam. 15:33   And Samuel said,

                           “As your sword has robbed women of children,

                           So shall your mother be robbed of child from women.” 

And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

וַיֵּלֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתָה וְשָׁאוּל עָלָה אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל׃   15:34

1Sam. 15:34   Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to his house to Gibeath-shaul.

וְלֹא־יָסַף שְׁמוּאֵל לִרְאוֹת אֶת־שָׁאוּל עַד־יוֹם מוֹתוֹ כִּי־הִתְאַבֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־שָׁאוּל וַיהוָה נִחָם כִּי־   15:35 הִמְלִיךְ אֶת־שָׁאוּל עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

1Sam. 15:35   And Samuel was not to see Saul again up to the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, while the Lord “regretted” that He made Saul king over Israel.

The events of this chapter may have transpired before those of Chapter 13.  See my remarks at the end of that chapter.  The only clue we have for this supposition is to be found in v. 15:1.  Therefore, more tan likely, this chapter provides the reason Saul was rejected by God -- his failure to obey the Lord’s command to destroy everything that was from Amalek.                                                                                [Return to 1Sam. 28:18]

 

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1Samuel 15