1 Samuel 15 27

1 Samuel 15:27 kjv

And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

1 Samuel 15:27 nkjv

And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.

1 Samuel 15:27 niv

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.

1 Samuel 15:27 esv

As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore.

1 Samuel 15:27 nlt

As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe.

1 Samuel 15 verses

1 Samuel 15 27 Meaning

This verse dramatically illustrates King Saul's frantic attempt to cling to the prophet Samuel and, by extension, God's departing favor, after Samuel had pronounced divine judgment against him. As Samuel turned to leave, Saul desperately seized the edge of his prophetic robe. In a poignant and immediately symbolic act, the robe tore, serving as a tangible and spontaneous sign that God had "torn" the kingdom away from Saul due to his grave disobedience.

1 Samuel 15 27 Context

1 Samuel chapter 15 records a pivotal moment marking Saul's rejection as king. The Lord had commanded Saul, through Samuel, to utterly destroy the Amalekites, including all their livestock, due to their ancient enmity against Israel (the cherem or "devoted to destruction" command). Saul, however, disobeyed by sparing King Agag and the best of the animals, rationalizing it as an intention for sacrifice to God. This partial obedience constituted an act of rebellion. Samuel confronted Saul, exposing his disingenuous repentance and pronoucing the divine judgment: "To obey is better than sacrifice...Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king" (vv. 22-23). Saul's subsequent plea was not of true remorse but rather an attempt to salvage his public image by asking Samuel to accompany him to worship (v. 25). Samuel definitively refused (v. 26). It is in this precise moment, as Samuel turns to leave, that Saul makes a desperate, physical grab, leading to the symbolic tearing of the prophet's robe in verse 27.

1 Samuel 15 27 Word analysis

• As Samuel turned to go away (וַיִּסּ֣ב שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל לָלֶ֙כֶת֙, wayyissov Sh'mu'el lalechet): Samuel's resolute turning indicates the finality of God's verdict. It symbolizes God's definitive withdrawal from Saul's reign and Samuel's role as divine messenger ending its active intercession for Saul.
• Saul laid hold of (וַיַּחֲזֵ֤ק, wayyachazeq): The Hebrew root "chazaq" signifies a strong, firm, even forceful grasp. It conveys Saul's desperate, last-ditch attempt to maintain contact or influence over Samuel, representing his clinginess to the outward symbols of kingship and divine favor rather than true inward change.
• the edge of his robe (בִּכְנַף־מְעִיל֔וֹ, biknap-m'ilo):
  • edge (כְּנַף, kenaf): This word translates to "wing" or "corner," often referring to the hem or fringe of a garment. It can symbolically represent protection, authority, or possession. Saul's seizing this specific part emphasizes his desperate attempt to hold onto what represents Samuel's, and thus God's, authority and protective favor.
  • his robe (מְעִיל, m'il): This was Samuel's prophetic mantle, a garment of spiritual authority and office. Grabbing it indicates Saul's misplaced hope that simply associating with or manipulating the prophet's presence could reverse God's judgment, rather than recognizing his profound spiritual rejection.
• and it tore (וַיִּקָּרַֽע, wayyiqqara'): The verb "qara'" is in the passive voice (Niphal), implying that the tearing happened to the garment, not necessarily that Samuel actively tore it, nor that it was a simple accident caused by Saul's grip. This highlights a divinely orchestrated event or a tearing pregnant with symbolic meaning, as a direct visual confirmation of God's impending judgment.
• Saul laid hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore: This collective phrase encapsulates Saul's futile desperation met by an immediate, potent, non-verbal divine response. His human attempt to grasp and control results in an irreversible physical rupture, symbolizing the tearing away of his kingdom, God's favor, and ultimately, his dynasty.

1 Samuel 15 27 Bonus section

• The significance of the tearing is immediately clarified by Samuel in the following verse (1 Sam 15:28), stating, "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." This interpretation underscores the immediate, prophetic nature of the event.
• The type of garment, m'il, for Samuel indicates a distinctive official or religious robe, amplifying its symbolic importance as an object representing his spiritual authority, contrasting with common clothing.
• The dramatic action parallels the theatrical prophecies common in the Old Testament, where prophets performed actions (e.g., Ezekiel lying on his side, Jeremiah wearing a yoke) to communicate God's message vividly.

1 Samuel 15 27 Commentary

1 Samuel 15:27 is a powerfully enacted prophecy, serving as a visceral confirmation of Saul's rejection as king. Saul's frantic attempt to detain Samuel reveals his desperate and fearful attachment to human approval and outward religious form, rather than genuine contrition for his disobedience. The spontaneous tearing of Samuel's prophetic robe, often interpreted as an event divinely orchestrated, concretizes Samuel's earlier pronouncement. It symbolized that just as the garment was rent, so too had God irrevocably torn the kingdom of Israel from Saul's grasp and severed His favor from his line. This act serves as a potent reminder that divine judgment for disobedience is irreversible once pronounced and confirmed, demonstrating that God does not change His mind concerning a spoken word rooted in a creature's rebellion. It vividly illustrates that clinging to external symbols of authority without inward obedience is futile and will lead to an ultimate separation from God's blessing.