Kings I 15:17-22

17 And Samuel said to Saul, Art thou not little in his eyes, a leader of one of the tribes of Israel? and the Lord anointed thee to be king over Israel.

18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said to thee, Go, and utterly destroy: thou shalt slay the sinners against me, the Amalekites; and thou shalt war against them until thou have consumed them.

19 And why didst not thou hearken to the voice of the Lord, but didst haste to fasten upon the spoils, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?

20 And Saul said to Samuel, Because I listened to the voice of the people: yet I went the way by which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalec, and I destroyed Amalec.

21 But the people took of the spoils the best flocks and herds of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our God in Galgal.

22 And Samuel said, Does the Lord take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of the Lord? behold, obedience better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams.

Kings I 15:17-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 15

In this chapter we have a short history of the reign of Abijam, 1Ki 15:1-8 and of Asa, 1Ki 14:9-24, both kings of Judah; and of the reigns of Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and of Baasha, who destroyed his family, both kings of Israel, 1Ki 15:25-34.

Footnotes

• [a]. both staff and tribe.