1 Samuel 15 3

1 Samuel 15:3 kjv

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

1 Samuel 15:3 nkjv

Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

1 Samuel 15:3 niv

Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'?"

1 Samuel 15:3 esv

Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

1 Samuel 15:3 nlt

Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation ? men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys."

1 Samuel 15 verses

1 Samuel 15 3 Meaning

The verse conveys a direct command from the Lord, through the prophet Samuel, to King Saul: launch a comprehensive military campaign against the Amalekites. This campaign is to be executed with extreme totality, meaning utter destruction (known as cherem or herem warfare) of everything belonging to them – from human beings (including all ages and genders) to all their livestock and possessions. The command explicitly forbids sparing anything, emphasizing that this is a divine judgment to be carried out completely, without human compassion or selectivity.

1 Samuel 15 3 Context

1 Samuel chapter 15 records God's decisive command to King Saul, delivered through the prophet Samuel, concerning the Amalekites. This is presented as a crucial test of Saul's obedience to God's precise instructions. The historical basis for this severe command goes back to the Exodus, where the Amalekites unprovokedly attacked the weak and weary Israelites as they left Egypt (Ex 17:8-16, Deut 25:17-19). This act of hostility against God's chosen people, compounded by a history of general wickedness (implied by herem context) made them subject to divine judgment.

The command to "utterly destroy" refers to cherem or herem warfare, a specific type of holy war in ancient Israel. This was not for conquest, plunder, or ethnic cleansing in the modern sense. Rather, it was an act of divine judgment against profoundly corrupt nations whose depravity had reached a full measure, and it was crucial for protecting Israel from moral and spiritual contamination by their abhorrent practices (e.g., child sacrifice, idolatry, immorality) (Lev 18:24-25). By completely dedicating the enemy and all their possessions to God through destruction, it ensured Israel would not profit from their unholiness and be defiled by taking their idols or wicked customs. This context polemically stood against common ancient Near Eastern practices of war, where kings sought spoil and enslaved populations; here, all gain was explicitly forbidden, showing it as a righteous act of divine purification. Saul's failure to fully obey this cherem command, by sparing Agag and the best of the livestock, marks a turning point in his reign and leads to his eventual rejection as king.

1 Samuel 15 3 Word analysis

• Now go: A direct and immediate command, signaling the urgency and divine initiative of the action.
• and attack: Hebrew hikita (הכית) means to "strike" or "smite." It implies a decisive military engagement.
• Amalek: The specific target. A long-standing enemy of Israel, descended from Esau (Gen 36:12). Their attack on vulnerable Israel in the wilderness (Ex 17:8-16) and their persistent opposition (Num 24:20, Deut 25:17-19) made them a unique object of divine judgment. This was the Lord remembering their persistent hostility against His people.
• and utterly destroy: Hebrew v'heḥaramtem (והחרמתם). This is the key term: herem. It means "to devote to destruction," "to ban," or "to put under the ban." It signifies total consecration, where something (or someone) is removed from common use and dedicated exclusively to God, often by annihilation. It's an act of divine judgment and purification, ensuring no trace of evil or source of defilement remains and that the action is not for human gain or plunder.
• all that they have: Reinforces the totality of the herem command. No part of their possessions was to be salvaged for Israel's gain. This was crucial to distinguish it from regular warfare and to demonstrate absolute obedience to God's will over human desire for spoil.
• do not spare them: Hebrew lo tachmol (לא תחמול) means "do not pity," "do not show compassion," or "do not hold back." This explicitly warns against partiality or human sentiment overriding the divine decree. Saul's failure to heed this (1 Sam 15:9) became his downfall.
• but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey: This graphic listing emphasizes the absolute, non-discriminatory scope of the herem command in this unique instance. It includes every living being within Amalek. This shocking inclusivity highlights the depth of Amalek's corporate sin in God's eyes and the totality of the divine judgment, aimed at rooting out an evil whose influence, if allowed to remain, would corrupt Israel. This radical measure prevented the perpetuation of Amalekite idolatry, immorality, and violence that God was judging, particularly as they would corrupt the holiness of Israel, a concern expressed in other herem commands (Deut 20:18). It indicates that the wickedness was so pervasive it included future generations.

1 Samuel 15 3 Bonus section

This verse and the broader context of herem warfare against the Amalekites presents a profound theological challenge to modern sensibilities, yet it is crucial to understand it within its unique historical, cultural, and redemptive-historical context. It emphasizes God's holiness, His intolerance of deep-seated evil that corrupted the very land, and His sovereign right to judge nations. This judgment served to protect the purity and covenant distinctiveness of Israel, through whom the Messiah would eventually come. Importantly, herem commands are never found outside of the Old Testament period for God's people, nor are they a general ethic for Christians. Under the New Covenant, the warfare is primarily spiritual (Eph 6:12), against principalities and powers, and followers of Christ are commanded to love their enemies (Matt 5:44), not to annihilate them, reflecting a different economy of grace and spiritual fulfillment in Christ.

1 Samuel 15 3 Commentary

1 Samuel 15:3 is a stark illustration of God's sovereign judgment and absolute demand for obedience from His chosen king. The command to utterly destroy Amalek, referred to as herem or the ban, was not a general directive for all future wars or all peoples, but a unique, divinely commissioned act of execution against a nation whose cumulative evil and persistent antagonism against God's people had reached a point of no return. This herem acted as a severe form of purification and judicial judgment, distinct from typical ancient warfare driven by plunder or expansion. Saul's role was not to rationalize, adapt, or profit, but to act as God's instrument for carrying out a precise divine judgment. His subsequent failure to execute this command completely, driven by his own agenda and the people's desire for spoil, exposed a critical flaw in his obedience, demonstrating that partial obedience is, in God's eyes, outright disobedience. This foundational moment directly led to God's rejection of Saul as king, underscoring the vital importance of complete submission to divine directives.