1 Samuel 15:8-9 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 15:8

And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive ,.... This name seems to be a common name of the kings of these people, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptians, see Numbers 24:2 . When this king fell into the hands of Saul, he did not put him to death, as he should have done, but preserved him; for what reasons, see in the following verse: and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword ; that is, all that came in his way, or fell into his hands; all between Havilah and Shur;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:9

And Saul and all the people spared Agag ,.... Perhaps Saul made the motion to spare him, and the people agreed to it; it may be, out of respect to him as a king; or because of the comeliness of his person, the height of his stature, and the largeness of his body, as Josephus F25 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7.) sect. 2. notes; or to carry him in triumph in a public show, see 1 Samuel 15:12 . and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings ; or "of the second sort",... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:8

He took Agag. This was the official name of the Amalekite kings (see Numbers 24:7 ), as Pharaoh was that of the kings of Egypt. For its meaning we must wait till we know more about the language of this race. Agag, however, from 1 Samuel 15:32 , seems to have been able to speak Hebrew. He utterly destroyed — i.e. put under the ban— all the people. They appear, however, again in 1 Samuel 27:8 , and with so vast a wilderness in which to take refuge, it would be impossible really to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:8-11

The limits of patience. The facts are— 1 . Saul, in disobedience to the command of God, spares Agag and the best of the spoil. 2 . God declares to Samuel that he can endure with Saul as king no longer. 3 . Samuel, in his grief, cries unto God all night. It is never said that God changes his purpose absolutely. Where promises are given conditional on conduct they are revoked when conduct fails. We cannot ascribe human feelings to God; yet it is only by the analogy of human... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:9

The fatlings. So the Syriac and Chaldee render the word, but the Hebrew literally means "the second best." Kimchi and Tanchum give perhaps a preferable rendering, "the second born," such animals being considered superior to the first born, as the dams had by that time arrived at their full strength. REJECTION OF SAUL AND HIS DYNASTY ( 1 Samuel 15:10-23 ). read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 15:8

The saving Agag alive was in direct violation of the devotion to destruction. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 15:9

The fatlings - The present Hebrew text cannot be so rendered. It can only mean “the second best” (compare the margin), i. e., sheep of the age to cut or shed the two teeth, sheep in their prime. But it is probable that the reading is corrupt, and that “fat or dainty bits” is the true reading. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 15:7-8

1 Samuel 15:7-8. To Shur That is, from one end of their country to the other; he smote all that he met with: but a great number of them fled away upon the noise of his coming, and secured themselves in other places, till the storm was over. Destroyed all Whom he found. Now they paid dear for the sins of their ancestors. They were themselves guilty of idolatry and numberless sins, for which they deserved to be cut off. Yet, when God would reckon with them, he fixes upon this as the ground... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 15:9

1 Samuel 15:9. Would not utterly destroy them As they had been commanded of God, but took them as a prey to themselves. Every thing that was vile, they destroyed All that was not worth the keeping. Thus they obeyed God as far as they could, without inconvenience and loss to themselves, which is a striking instance of the baseness of human nature, when governed by covetousness, or any such like grovelling affection or appetite. read more

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:9

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:8

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:8-11

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:9

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 15:8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 15:9

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 15:7-8

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 15:9

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