1 Samuel 15:26 kjv
And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
1 Samuel 15:26 nkjv
But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel."
1 Samuel 15:26 niv
But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!"
1 Samuel 15:26 esv
And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel."
1 Samuel 15:26 nlt
But Samuel replied, "I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king of Israel."
1 Samuel 15 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 13:13-14 | "And Samuel said to Saul, 'You have done foolishly... for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue..." | Earlier warning of rejection for disobedience. |
| 1 Sam 15:10-11 | "The word of the LORD came to Samuel: 'I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commandments.'" | God's initial grief and decision to reject Saul. |
| 1 Sam 15:22-23 | "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams... because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." | Preceding context; principle of obedience over ritual, exact words echoed. |
| 1 Sam 15:28 | "Then Samuel said to him, 'The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.'" | Prophecy of transfer of kingship. |
| 1 Sam 15:29 | "And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change His mind." | God's immutable decision regarding Saul's rejection. |
| Num 14:31-35 | "But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land... But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness." | Disobedience leads to consequences/rejection (wilderness generation). |
| Deut 28:15-68 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... then all these curses shall come upon you..." | Broader covenant principle: disobedience leads to curses and rejection. |
| Zech 7:11-12 | "But they refused to pay attention and stubbornly turned their backs and stopped their ears... because they made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law..." | People rejecting God's word leading to judgment. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to Me." | Parallel of rejection for rejecting divine instruction. |
| Psa 51:16-17 | "For You will not delight in sacrifice... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." | Reinforces obedience/heart condition over ritual. |
| Isa 1:19-20 | "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword..." | Principle of reward for obedience, judgment for rebellion. |
| Isa 55:11 | "So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose..." | Power and authority of God's word. |
| Jer 1:10 | "See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." | God's sovereignty over kings and kingdoms. |
| Jer 18:7-10 | "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation... repents... then I will relent..." | Conditional nature of judgment, though in Saul's case, it's irreversible. |
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings..." | God's sovereign control over leadership. |
| Matt 7:21 | "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." | Emphasizes obedience/doing God's will for true standing. |
| Matt 21:43 | "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits." | Parable of the Wicked Tenants; taking away privilege due to rejection/disobedience. |
| Luke 12:48 | "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom much was entrusted, more will be demanded." | High accountability for those in leadership/position of authority. |
| John 14:15 | "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." | Link between love for God and obedience to His word. |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." | Power and judgment capability of God's word. |
| Jas 1:22 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Calls for practical obedience to God's word. |
| Rev 3:16 | "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." | Principle of divine rejection for lack of commitment/obedience. |
1 Samuel 15 verses
1 Samuel 15 26 Meaning
1 Samuel 15:26 conveys Samuel’s definitive declaration to King Saul that, due to Saul’s direct and deliberate disobedience to God's specific command concerning the Amalekites, God has likewise decisively rejected Saul from his position as king over Israel. It emphasizes a divine reciprocation: Saul spurned God's word, and as a direct consequence, God spurned Saul's reign.
1 Samuel 15 26 Context
The immediate context of 1 Samuel 15:26 follows Saul's incomplete execution of God's command to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Through Samuel, the LORD had strictly instructed Saul to wipe out every person, animal, and possession of Amalek (1 Sam 15:2-3). However, Saul spared King Agag and the best of the livestock, rationalizing his actions by claiming he intended to sacrifice the animals to the LORD. Samuel directly confronted Saul, pronouncing that obedience is more valuable to God than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22). Verse 26 comes as a summary judgment after Saul's failed attempts to justify himself and later, a half-hearted admission of sin, culminating in Samuel's final, irreversible decree of God's rejection of Saul's kingship.
Historically and culturally, Israel was a theocracy, transitioning to a monarchy under God's appointment. Kings were understood to rule as God's representatives, thus subservient to His divine laws and commands, usually communicated through prophets like Samuel. Disobedience from the king was a profound affront to God's authority and an immediate threat to the foundational covenant between God and His people. Saul’s disobedience in 1 Samuel 15 was not merely a tactical mistake but a rebellious act against the LORD's direct authority, demonstrating a pattern of prioritizing his own will and popular opinion over divine mandate.
1 Samuel 15 26 Word analysis
- And Samuel said to Saul: Establishes the divine decree’s origin through the prophet Samuel to King Saul, highlighting the formal and official nature of this confrontation. This is not a personal spat but a pronouncement from God’s chosen mouthpiece.
- I will not return with you: Samuel's refusal marks the end of their professional and personal fellowship, symbolizing the irreversible break between God's chosen king and His authoritative prophet. This signals a complete divine withdrawal from Saul's support for his kingship.
- for you have rejected (מאסת - ma'as): The Hebrew verb ma'as is strong, meaning "to spurn," "to despise," "to loathe," or "to refuse with contempt." It's not merely a failure to perform but an act of setting aside or disdaining. Saul's action implies an active disdain or disregard for God’s explicit instruction.
- the word of the LORD (דבר יהוה - davar YHWH): "The word of the LORD" signifies God's direct, revealed command, instruction, or oracle. It is inherently authoritative, true, and to be obeyed without question. Rejecting it is seen as rejecting God Himself.
- and the LORD (יהוה - YHWH): The use of the covenant name of God (Yahweh) emphasizes that this rejection comes from the Sovereign God who entered into covenant with Israel and appointed Saul. It underscores God's personal involvement and just response.
- has rejected (מאס - ma'as): The same verb ma'as is used, establishing a direct reciprocity and justice in God's response. Because Saul spurned God's word, God spurned Saul. It's an "eye for an eye" principle applied spiritually to the relationship between ruler and divine authority.
- you from being king over Israel: Specifies the consequence: not death, but removal from his divinely ordained office. God had made Saul king, and now God was unmaking him from that specific role and authority over Israel. This marks a significant turning point in Israel's history, leading directly to the rise of David.
1 Samuel 15 26 Bonus section
This verse directly addresses and serves as a polemic against the idea that human kings, once enthroned, could rule autonomously without subservience to the Divine King of Israel. Saul's actions in this chapter, and Samuel's definitive declaration in this verse, clearly assert that Israel’s kings were subject to the LORD's commands and were accountable to Him. It refutes any contemporary beliefs that a king’s victory (like over Amalek) validated his own methods or justified partial obedience. Instead, God’s will, as communicated through His prophet, was the supreme law for the king, and rebellion against it would inevitably lead to divine withdrawal and the loss of power. The divine decree here for Saul's line stands in sharp contrast to God's later unconditional covenant with David, highlighting the different natures of human-desired kingship versus God-ordained kingship and dynasty.
1 Samuel 15 26 Commentary
1 Samuel 15:26 stands as a stark declaration of divine judgment against disobedience, especially in leadership. It unequivocally establishes the principle that loyalty and obedience to God’s direct command supersede any human logic, perceived good intentions, or outward religious rituals. Saul’s "rejection" (from ma'as) of the LORD’s word was an act of spurning, deeming God’s command of less importance than his own desires for popularity, spoils, or even incomplete worship. God's reciprocal "rejection" (also ma'as) of Saul was a just and irreversible response, stripping him of the divine legitimacy for his kingship. This pivotal moment underscores God’s ultimate sovereignty over human rulers and highlights the absolute authority of His word, signaling the imminent transition of leadership from Saul to a new, "better" king in David, chosen by God's own heart (1 Sam 13:14). This passage serves as a perpetual warning that holding any position of influence under God’s authority demands unwavering and complete obedience to His expressed will.