1 Samuel 15 12

1 Samuel 15:12 kjv

And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

1 Samuel 15:12 nkjv

So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal."

1 Samuel 15:12 niv

Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."

1 Samuel 15:12 esv

And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal."

1 Samuel 15:12 nlt

Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal."

1 Samuel 15 verses

1 Samuel 15 12 Meaning

First Samuel 15:12 describes Samuel's journey to confront King Saul, revealing a crucial piece of information about Saul's actions: that he had erected a monument to himself in Carmel after his battle with Amalek, before proceeding to Gilgal. This detail immediately signals Saul's self-glorification and pride, directly contrasting with the command to devote all spoils to God (cherem), and revealing his heart condition that led to God's rejection of his kingship.

1 Samuel 15 12 Context

First Samuel 15:12 is central to the narrative of King Saul's rejection by God. Preceding this verse, God commanded Saul through Samuel to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions as an act of holy war (cherem). However, Saul spared King Agag and the best of the livestock, rationalizing his disobedience by claiming it was for sacrifice to the Lord. Verse 11 reveals God's deep regret ("nāḥam," meaning grief or sorrow) over making Saul king because of his failure to fully obey. The verse sets the immediate scene for Samuel's confrontation with Saul, highlighting the king's self-serving actions. The location, Gilgal, holds additional significance as it was the place where Saul's previous act of disobedience regarding waiting for Samuel also occurred (1 Sam 13:8-14), marking it as a site of recurring spiritual failure for the king. Historically, erecting a monument (a yad) was a common practice in the ancient Near East, typically to commemorate victories and often dedicated to deities or rulers as signs of their power and glory. Saul's choice to erect one for himself after a divinely commanded war (cherem) explicitly demonstrates his egocentric motivations and disregard for God's glory.

1 Samuel 15 12 Word analysis

• When Samuel: Refers to the prophet, God's faithful servant, whose actions are consistently characterized by obedience and seeking God's will, contrasting sharply with Saul's.
• rose early in the morning: Hebrew shakam (שָׁכַם). This phrase emphasizes Samuel's earnestness, diligence, and immediate response to God's distress and command to confront Saul (from verse 11). It reflects his readiness and determination.
• to meet Saul: This meeting is not a casual encounter but a purposeful, confrontational one, signifying an imminent judgment and reckoning.
• it was told Samuel: The information reached Samuel, perhaps through local reports or divine revelation. This highlights the public knowledge of Saul's actions, emphasizing the king's brazen display of his pride.
• Saul came to Carmel: Carmel (כַּרְמֶל), a significant geographical location known for its fertile land, likely where the battle and spoils were handled. This is the place where Saul performed the public act of erecting his monument.
• and behold, he set up: Hebrew natsav (נָצַב), meaning "to stand" or "to place firmly." The interjection "behold" (הִנֵּה, hinneh) draws immediate attention to the remarkable, perhaps shocking, nature of Saul's act. He publicly established this structure.
• a monument for himself: Hebrew yad (יָד). While literally meaning "hand," here it denotes a memorial or pillar (like a landmark or victory monument). The critical detail is "for himself" (lô, לוֹ). This reveals Saul's deep-seated pride and self-glorification, ascribing the victory, which belonged to God, to his own name and honor, instead of erecting a monument to God as was proper for a holy war (cherem). This act is a blatant transgression against giving God all the glory.
• and turned and passed on: This phrase suggests Saul's quick departure from the site, possibly to avoid immediate scrutiny, confrontation, or the difficult work of fully obeying God's command to utterly destroy all Amalekite possessions. It could imply a hasty movement, perhaps indicating he considered the matter done and wished to avoid lingering.
• and went down to Gilgal: Gilgal (גִּלְגָּל), a crucial historical and religious site in Israel, first encountered by Israel upon entering Canaan (Josh 4). It was where kings were affirmed and where Saul previously failed by offering sacrifices without Samuel (1 Sam 13). Saul's return to Gilgal here ironically brings him back to another place of his past disobedience and ultimately, divine judgment.

1 Samuel 15 12 Bonus section

The act of setting up a monument (a yad or "hand") by a ruler for himself after a victory was common in the ancient Near East as a way to boast of military success and authority. However, for an Israelite king fighting a cherem (devoted destruction) war, it represented a grave spiritual transgression. Victory in such wars was unequivocally attributed to YHWH, and any spoils or glory were to be completely consecrated to Him or utterly destroyed. Saul’s monument therefore acts as an idolatrous gesture, transferring divine glory to himself. The parallel with Saul's previous disobedience in Gilgal (1 Sam 13) highlights a recurring behavioral pattern of impatience, presumption, and self-reliance rather than reliance on God, indicating a deeply rooted spiritual malady.

1 Samuel 15 12 Commentary

First Samuel 15:12 serves as a stark indictment of King Saul's character and his deficient understanding of his kingship before God. The narrative, by informing Samuel of Saul's monument, reveals the profound root of Saul's prior partial obedience in sparing Agag and the best of the Amalekite spoils. Instead of executing God's command fully for God's glory, Saul sought personal aggrandizement. The act of erecting a yad for himself in Carmel signifies that Saul was claiming the victory, which God delivered, for his own renown. This directly contravened the spirit of cherem, a holy war where all glory and spoil belong to God alone.

Saul's action encapsulates a deeper issue than mere partial obedience; it is a fundamental misplacement of worship and loyalty. He put his reputation and image above God's express command and exclusive claim to glory, demonstrating a kingly posture inconsistent with Israel's theocracy. His swift departure from Carmel to Gilgal after setting up the monument implies a desire to move on quickly, perhaps to escape immediate accountability or to formalize his (disobedient) actions at another significant site. This pivotal moment underscores Saul's ongoing pattern of seeking honor from men rather than from God, cementing the divine judgment upon him. The contrast with Samuel's immediate and dutiful early rising perfectly frames Saul's spiritual laziness and self-obsession.