1 Samuel 15 9

1 Samuel 15:9 kjv

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

1 Samuel 15:9 nkjv

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:9 niv

But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs?everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:9 esv

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

1 Samuel 15:9 nlt

Saul and his men spared Agag's life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs ? everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

1 Samuel 15 verses

1 Samuel 15 9 Meaning

1 Samuel 15:9 describes how King Saul and the people of Israel deliberately disobeyed God's clear command to utterly destroy all Amalekites and their possessions. Instead of carrying out the herem (devotion to destruction), they spared King Agag and retained the choicest of the livestock—the sheep, oxen, fatlings, and lambs—along with everything else they deemed valuable. They only destroyed what was considered worthless or despised, demonstrating a selective and self-serving interpretation of divine instruction rather than complete submission.

1 Samuel 15 9 Context

The setting of 1 Samuel 15 is crucial for understanding verse 9. God, through the prophet Samuel, commanded Saul to launch a complete annihilation campaign against the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:2-3). This command was an act of divine judgment against Amalek for their unprovoked attack on Israel as they came out of Egypt (Exod 17:8-16; Deut 25:17-19) and their continuous hostility. The specific instruction was to "devote to destruction" (herem), meaning everything – men, women, children, infants, oxen, sheep, camels, and donkeys – was to be utterly destroyed, consecrated to God through destruction, with nothing taken as spoil. This act was not out of cruelty but justice and the purification of the land from persistent evil.

Historically, the herem was a practice under specific divine command, particularly during the conquest of Canaan or in cases of severe apostasy, ensuring no defiling influence remained and that God's people understood their victories were His alone, not for personal gain. Saul's failure in this instance—sparing Agag and the best of the livestock—was a direct violation of this solemn command. It revealed a deeper issue: a lack of complete submission to God's authority, prioritizing personal gain or popularity over divine will, leading directly to his rejection as king (1 Sam 15:23). This partial obedience, or selective obedience, was seen as rebellion in God's eyes.

1 Samuel 15 9 Word analysis

• But Saul and the people: Highlights a shared responsibility, but the ultimate failure rests with Saul as the king and leader who was given the command. The "people" here are his army, under his direction, indicating his leadership failure to ensure complete obedience.
• spared (וַיַּחְמֹל, vayyachmol): From the root chaml, meaning to pity, spare, or have compassion on. In this context, it signifies a misplaced "mercy" or a selective decision that directly contravened God's command. This "sparing" was an act of disobedience.
• Agag (אֲגַג): The king of the Amalekites. Sparing him was a profound act of defiance and a clear violation of the command to utterly destroy all. Agag's survival symbolized the incomplete removal of the threat.
• the best (מֵיטַב, meytav): Literally "the choicest part." This reveals a materialistic motivation; they valued the material possessions over absolute obedience. They applied their own criteria of "good" instead of God's.
• of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs: A comprehensive list of prime livestock, emphasizing the economic value of what they spared. The term "fatlings" (hamishnim) specifically refers to rich, well-fed animals, signifying their choiceness.
• and all that was good: A generalized statement affirming that they kept anything deemed valuable in their own eyes, broadening the scope of their partiality and covetousness beyond specific livestock.
• and were unwilling to destroy them utterly: This phrase is the core of the disobedience. "Unwilling" shows intent and conscious defiance. "Utterly destroy" (לְהַחֲרִים, le'hacharim): from the root herem, signifying the special divine ban or devotion to complete destruction without retaining any spoils. Their "unwillingness" was a direct rejection of God's holy war principles.
• all that was despised (נְמִבְזָה, nimb'zah): Something vile, scorned, or without value.
• and worthless (וְנָמֵס, venames): Something melted away, feeble, or of no use. This implies the weak, sickly, or useless animals.
• they utterly destroyed: They carried out the herem only on what they found commercially useless. This highlights the superficial nature of their "obedience"—they eliminated only what cost them nothing and benefited them to remove.

• "Saul and the people spared... and were unwilling to destroy them utterly": This word-group reveals a collective decision-making, where the king, despite being directly commanded, yielded to his own desires or the desires of the people. It points to a deliberate refusal to obey fully.
• "spared Agag and the best... and all that was good": This emphasizes the strategic nature of their disobedience. They specifically selected items of significant value and political symbolism (Agag), indicating a conscious, calculating defiance rooted in covetousness or a desire for triumph display, rather than accidental oversight.
• "all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed": This contrasts sharply with the former clause, showcasing their partial and self-serving "obedience." They performed the command only in areas that did not challenge their own preferences or involve sacrifice. This form of "obedience" turns God's holy command into a means of personal benefit.

1 Samuel 15 9 Bonus section

The concept of herem here is paramount. It represents a strict devotion to God, where nothing from the enemy could be gained personally by Israel. This tested the Israelites' trust that God alone provides and that they fought not for spoil but for His divine justice. Saul's failure indicated his lack of genuine devotion to God; his kingship, meant to embody divine rule, instead showcased a rule tainted by self-interest. This chapter serves as a stark warning against transactional spirituality—treating God's commands as negotiations or opportunities for personal advantage. This moment of disobedience directly led to Saul's anointing being rescinded, emphasizing God's intolerance for partial submission from those He appoints. It teaches that disobedience, even when masked by good intentions or partial compliance, is rebellion against God's sovereign authority.

1 Samuel 15 9 Commentary

1 Samuel 15:9 lays bare Saul's fundamental flaw as king: a failure in complete, unconditional obedience to God. Despite receiving a precise command from God, Saul and his people exercised human discretion, opting for a selective obedience that benefited themselves. They spared Agag, possibly for a triumphal procession, and saved the choicest livestock, likely intending to sacrifice them to the Lord as an excuse (1 Sam 15:21), or simply for personal gain. This action reveals that their understanding of the herem was distorted; they treated God's command for total destruction as a mere suggestion, or a guideline from which to extract personal profit. God demands holistic obedience, not a negotiated one where man chooses which parts of divine instruction are "good" to keep. Saul's sin here was not merely partial obedience, but an act of rebellion rooted in fear of man and covetousness, ultimately leading to his rejection as king. This passage underscores that the nature of our obedience matters deeply to God; partial obedience is in fact disobedience.

For practical application:

• Christians might selectively obey God's commands, embracing teachings that align with their comfort or desire while ignoring those that require significant sacrifice or challenge worldly norms.
• One might fulfill outward religious duties (like attending church or giving money) while harboring unconfessed sin or disobedient attitudes in other areas of life (like forgiving others, taming the tongue, or upholding truth).
• Seeking to justify sin by rationalizing it as "good intentions" or "for God's glory," akin to Saul's claim of keeping the best for sacrifice.