1 Samuel 15:4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:1-9

Here, I. Samuel, in God's name, solemnly requires Saul to be obedient to the command of God, and plainly intimates that he was now about to put him upon a trial, in one particular instance, whether he would be obedient or no, 1 Sam. 15:1. And the making of this so expressly the trial of his obedience did very much aggravate his disobedience. 1. He reminds him of what God had done for him: ?The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be a king. God gave thee thy power, and therefore he expects thou... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:4

And Saul gathered the people together ,.... Or "made them to hear" F18 וישמע "audire fecit", Vatablus, Drusius. , by the sound of a trumpet; or by sending heralds into all parts of the land to proclaim the above order of the Lord, and summon them to come to him, perhaps at Gilgal; so the Septuagint version, and Josephus F19 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7. sect. 2. : and numbered them in Telaim ; thought to be the same with Telem, a place in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:24 , the word... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 15:4

Two hundred thousand - and ten thousand - The Septuagint, in the London Polyglot, have Four Hundred thousand companies of Israel, and Thirty thousand companies of Judah. The Codex Alexandrinus has Ten thousand of each. The Complutensian Polyglot has Two Hundred thousand companies of Israel, and Ten thousand of Judah. And Josephus has Four Hundred thousand of Israel, and Thirty thousand of Judah. All the other versions are the same with the Hebrew text; and there is no difference in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:1-7

God's terrible acts. The facts are— 1 . Saul is reminded that though a king he is but the servant of God, and bound to carry out his declared will. 2 . Saul is commanded to utterly destroy Amalek in retribution for former sins. 3 . In prosecuting his duty Saul discriminates in favour of the Kenites, then resident among the Amalekites, in consequence of their former kindness to Israel. It appears from 1 Samuel 14:48 that, although the sin of Amalek in bygone times ( Exodus... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:4

Telaim . Kimchi identifies this with Telem ( Joshua 15:24 ), a place on the southern border of Judah near the country of the Amalekites. But as telaim means "lambs," more probably beth, "house," is to be understood; and so it was no town, but the "place of lambs," i.e. some open spot where at the proper season the lambs were collected from the pastures in the wilderness. Ten thousand men of Judah. A very small number compared with the hosts of Israel, especially as Judah was most... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 15:4

Telaim - Probably the same as “Telem” Joshua 15:24, one of the uttermost cities of Judah, toward the coast of Edom. The name means “lambs,” and was probably so called from the numerous flocks.Two hundred thousand ... - A wonderful contrast with the six hundred men who composed his whole army before 1 Samuel 13:15, and a proof how completely for a time the Philistines had been driven back. The separate mention of the men of Judah shows how little union there was between Juduh and Ephraim even at... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:1-35

War against the Amalekites (15:1-35)The Amalekites came under the same curse as those Canaanite nations that were to be destroyed (15:1-3; cf. Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 20:16-18; Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Again Saul’s obedience was tested, and again he failed. His kingly power gave him no right to alter God-given instructions to suit himself (4-9).God sent Samuel to tell Saul of the consequences of his disobedience (10-16; cf. 13:13-14). Religious sacrifices and military victories were no... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 15:4

Telaim . Probably Telem (Joshua 15:24 ). men. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Samuel 15:4

SAUL PARTIALLY EXECUTES GOD'S ORDER"So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah at Telaim. And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. And Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul defeated the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 15:4

4. Saul gathered the people together—The alacrity with which he entered on the necessary preparations for the expedition gave a fair, but delusive promise of faithfulness in its execution. Telaim—or Telem, among the uttermost cities of the tribe of Judah towards the coast of Edom (Joshua 15:21; Joshua 15:24). read more