1 Samuel 15 15

1 Samuel 15:15 kjv

And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:15 nkjv

And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

1 Samuel 15:15 niv

Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."

1 Samuel 15:15 esv

Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction."

1 Samuel 15:15 nlt

"It's true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle," Saul admitted. "But they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else."

1 Samuel 15 verses

1 Samuel 15 15 Meaning

Saul's statement to Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:15 is an attempt to justify his partial obedience to God's command regarding the Amalekites. He admits to taking spoils but rationalizes this by claiming the best livestock was spared by "the people" (thereby shifting blame) for the purpose of sacrificing them to the LORD. This response reveals Saul's self-deception, fear of man over God, and fundamental misunderstanding that obedience to God's explicit word is paramount, surpassing even the most zealous acts of religious worship.

1 Samuel 15 15 Context

First Samuel chapter 15 records God's decisive command to King Saul, conveyed through the prophet Samuel, to utterly destroy the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:3). This act, known as ḥerem, was a divinely ordered judgment for Amalek's historical aggression against Israel during the Exodus (Exod 17:8-16, Deut 25:17-19). Saul was to destroy all their people, livestock, and possessions, leaving nothing. However, upon returning from the battle, Samuel confronts Saul about the sound of livestock and asks why he did not obey. Verse 15 is Saul's immediate response and excuse, attempting to justify his disobedience by framing his actions as a religious act of intending to offer sacrifices to God. This verse is pivotal as it encapsulates Saul's characteristic disobedience, his propensity to shift blame, and his self-righteous, religious performance that fundamentally misconstrued God's priorities, ultimately leading to his rejection as king (1 Sam 15:23).

1 Samuel 15 15 Word analysis

• "And Saul said": Indicates Saul's direct verbal response, an immediate attempt at explanation to Samuel, rather than repentance.
• "They have brought them from the Amalekites":
  • "They": Saul immediately uses the plural "they" (Hebrew: הֵמָּה hemmah, referring to "the people") subtly shifting blame from himself to the Israelite soldiers. This evasion of personal responsibility is a recurring pattern for Saul.
  • "brought them": Passive framing, avoiding an active "I brought them."
  • "from the Amalekites": Acknowledges the origin of the spoil, implicitly admitting a violation of the ḥerem command.
• "for the people spared":
  • "for" (כִּי kī): Introduces the justification.
  • "the people" (הָעָם hāʿām): Explicitly reiterates blame on the populace. Saul presents himself as a bystander or merely yielding to popular pressure, rather than the divinely appointed king responsible for enforcing the command.
  • "spared" (חָמַל ḥāmal): To have compassion, pity, or spare. This is directly contrary to God's command to "utterly destroy."
• "the best" (מֵיטַב meyṭab): Signifies deliberate selection. It wasn't an accidental oversight of poor livestock, but a covetous act of preserving the most valuable possessions. This highlights greed and lack of true devotion.
• "of the sheep and of the oxen": Specific livestock that should have been utterly destroyed. The presence of these animals is direct evidence against Saul.
• "to sacrifice unto the LORD your God":
  • "to sacrifice" (לִזְבֹּחַ lizbōaḥ): This presents the sin as a religious act, trying to sanctify disobedience with piety. Saul implies good intentions, framing it as devotion.
  • "unto the LORD" (לַֽיהוָה layhwh): Referring to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. Using His name gives a veneer of legitimacy to his actions.
  • "your God" (אֱלֹהֶיךָ ʾelōheykā): This phrase is significant. Saul addresses Samuel with "your God," subtly distancing himself from a personal relationship of obedience and communion with the LORD. He does not say "our God" or "my God," hinting at his broken fellowship and spiritual alienation. It implies "your God's command was ignored, but we'll try to appease Him with sacrifices."
• "and the rest we have utterly destroyed":
  • "and the rest": Emphasizes that partial obedience occurred, attempting to downplay the severity of the complete disobedience.
  • "we": Saul includes himself in the destruction of "the rest," appearing to share responsibility for the obedience while pinning the sparing of the "best" on "the people."
  • "have utterly destroyed" (הֶחֱרַמְנוּ heḥĕramnû): Uses the term ḥerem, indicating Saul was fully aware of the precise nature of the command (complete, holy destruction). This shows deliberate partiality rather than ignorance. His knowledge compounds his sin.

1 Samuel 15 15 Bonus section

Saul's excuse is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of behavior seen earlier (e.g., offering unauthorized sacrifice in 1 Sam 13:8-12). This repeated disobedience and rationalization demonstrated his unfitness to be God's king. The ḥerem command, or "holy war," was not about Saul's personal gain or a test of his military might, but a theological statement of God's absolute sovereignty and judgment over evil. By taking spoils and sparing Agag (as mentioned in 1 Sam 15:9), Saul essentially invalidated the very purpose of the ḥerem, placing himself and his desires above God's divine mandate. The seemingly minor detail of keeping livestock was a major theological breach that sealed his rejection as king.

1 Samuel 15 15 Commentary

1 Samuel 15:15 encapsulates King Saul's fatal flaw: his selective obedience masquerading as piety. Confronted by Samuel, Saul's immediate response is not one of confession and repentance, but rather a defensive narrative designed to shift blame and justify his actions. He attributes the sparing of the choice livestock to "the people," subtly attempting to absolve himself of primary responsibility. More strikingly, he twists this act of disobedience into an act of worship, claiming the valuable animals were preserved specifically "to sacrifice unto the LORD." This reveals a profound spiritual delusion, where Saul believed that a ritualistic act could somehow atone for direct disobedience.

The choice of "your God" rather than "my God" or "our God" when speaking to Samuel is deeply telling, exposing a growing chasm between Saul and the God he was meant to serve as king. It indicates a relational distance, an impersonal approach to divine commands, where God's will is something to be managed or appeased rather than humbly obeyed. Saul’s prioritizing of "the best" of the spoils demonstrates not piety, but covetousness and a fear of popular opinion. His willingness to compromise God's explicit instruction for what he perceived as a more advantageous or religious outcome highlights a leadership rooted in pragmatism and self-preservation rather than a deep reverence for God. This partial obedience, stemming from a flawed heart, became a direct affront to God, proving that obedience, especially to uncomfortable commands, is infinitely more valuable to Him than any external act of worship or sacrifice.