Saul Is Rejected for Partial Obedience

15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. 15:2 Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed Israel along the way when Israel came up from Egypt. 15:3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’” 15:4 So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 15:5 Saul proceeded to the city of Amalek, where he set an ambush in the wadi. 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites. 15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is next to Egypt. 15:8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people with the sword. 15:9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised and worthless. 15:10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 15:12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left and went down to Gilgal.” 15:13 When Samuel came to him, Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.” 15:14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case, then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15:15 Saul said, “They were brought from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.” 15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul said to him, “Tell me.” 15:17 Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose you as king over Israel. 15:18 The Lord sent you on a campaign saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you have destroyed them.’ 15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” 15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the Lord! I went on the campaign the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 15:22 Then Samuel said, “Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded and what you said as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. 15:25 Now please forgive my sin! Go back with me so I can worship the Lord.” 15:26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!” 15:27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 15:28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 15:29 The Preeminent One of Israel does not go back on his word or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 15:30 Saul again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 15:31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 15:32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling, thinking to himself, “Surely death is bitter!” 15:33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord. 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 15:35 Until the day he died Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Saul defeats the Amalekites, but he does not obey the Lord fully. He keeps King Agag alive and takes the best livestock. Samuel tells Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice, and that rebellion against God’s word is serious. Because Saul disobeys the Lord, the Lord rejects him as king.

Samuel speaks to Saul with the Lord’s authority. The Lord had commanded Saul to carry out judgment on Amalek because of their long hostility against Israel. Saul gathered a large army and fought the Amalekites, but he spared Agag and kept the best animals. This was not faithful obedience.

The Lord told Samuel that Saul had turned away and had not done what was commanded. Samuel was grieved. When Saul met Samuel, he claimed to have obeyed, but Samuel heard the sound of the spared animals and exposed the truth. Saul tried to excuse himself by saying the animals were kept for sacrifice. Samuel rejected that excuse. He taught that the Lord desires obedience more than sacrifice. He also said that rebellion is like divination and presumption is like idolatry.

Saul then admitted that he had sinned, but he still cared deeply about public honor. He wanted Samuel to go back with him before the people. Samuel refused to reverse the verdict. He said that the Lord had torn the kingdom from Saul and given it to another who was better than him. Saul’s robe tore as Samuel turned away, a sign of the torn kingdom.

Samuel then brought Agag before the Lord and executed him, completing the judgment Saul had left unfinished. The chapter ends with Samuel and Saul separated. Samuel mourned for Saul, but the Lord’s rejection of Saul as king stood firm.

• God takes his word seriously.
• Partial obedience is disobedience when God has clearly spoken.
• Sacrifice cannot cover up rebellion.
• Rebellion and presumption are serious sins before God.
• Public honor does not prove God’s approval.
• The Lord rejected Saul as king because Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command.

• Warning: rebellion against the Lord’s word is a serious sin.
• Warning: presumption is like idolatry, and rebellion is like divination.
• Warning: using worship language to excuse disobedience is false.
• Command: obey the Lord fully.
• Command: do not trust public honor more than God’s approval.

This passage marks the turning point from Saul toward David. Saul is rejected as king because he would not submit to the Lord’s word. The story prepares for the rise of the better king God will choose. In the larger Bible story, it increases the need for a king who truly obeys God.

This passage warns people not to use religious actions to hide disobedience. God wants honest obedience, not excuses. Leaders are especially accountable to follow the Lord’s word. It also warns against caring more about people’s approval than God’s approval, and calls us to repent truly, not only to protect our reputation.

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