1 Samuel 15:34

32-35 Many think the bitterness of death is past when it is not gone by; they put that evil day far from them, which is very near. Samuel calls Agag to account for his own sins. He followed the example of his ancestors' cruelty, justly therefore is all the righteous blood shed by Amalek required. Saul seems unconcerned at the token of God's displeasure which he lay under, yet Samuel mourns day and night for him. Jerusalem was carnally secure while Christ wept over it. Do we desire to do the whole will of God? Turn to him, not in form and appearance, but with sincerity....

FINAL REJECTION OF SAUL (1 Samuel 15:1.) EXPOSITION DIVINE COMMAND TO PUNISH THE AMALEKITES, AND ITS EXECUTION BY SAUL (1 Samuel 15:1). 1 SAMUEL 15:1 SAMUEL ALSO SAID. Better literally, "And Samuel said." There is no note of time, but probably a considerable interval elapsed before this second trial of Saul was made. God does not finally reject a man until, after repeated opportunities for repentance,

THEN SAMUEL WENT TO RAMAH,.... His native place, and where was his usual residence: AND SAUL WENT UP TO HIS HOUSE TO GIBEAH OF SAUL; which was also his birth place, and where was his father's house, and where he had his palace, and kept his court; and took its name from him, to distinguish it from another Gibeah; and so Josephus w says it was called Gabathsaoule, and was about thirty furlongs or four miles from Jerusalem. w De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 1....

8. WAR WITH AMALEK: SAUL'S DISOBEDIENCE AND REJECTION CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The commission to destroy Amalek (1 Samuel 15:1)_ 2. Saul's disobedience and rejection (1 Samuel 15:10) 3. Saul's confession (1 Samuel 15:24) 4. The doom of Agag (1 Samuel 15:32) From verse 48 in the previous chapter we learn that Saul smote the Amalekites. Samuel is sent by Jehovah with a new message to Saul telling him to smite Amalek again and to destroy utterly all that they have. It involves another task for Saul. He had been fully established as king and is therefore called upon to discharge his respo

XV. THE WAR AGAINST AMALEK; SAUL'S DISOBEDIENCE AND DEPOSITION (E). - A section of a secondary narrative; according to the scheme adopted here, the last section of this document was 1 Samuel 3:3 to 1 Samuel 4:1. 1 SAMUEL 15:1. Samuel bids Saul attack Amalek and subject it to the _herem_ (pp. 99, 114), or sacred ban, by which all living creatures were put to death in honour of Yahweh. (_Cf._ the cases of Jericho and Achan, Joshua 6 f.) Saul called a general levy to a rendezvous in the south of Judah the numbers are probably exaggerated and advanced against the city of Amalek, possibly a tribal sanctuary which served as the headquarters of this nomad tribe; and lay in ambush in a neighbouring valley. The

The execution of Agag. Samuel's departure 32. _delicately_ Rather, CHEERFULLY: not fearing any harm from the aged prophet, as the king had spared his life. But the meaning of the word is very doubtful. The Sept. has "trembling;" the Vulg. a curious double rendering, "sleek and trembling" (_pinguissimus et tremens_). _Surely the bitterness of death is past_ This was what Agag said to himself, expecting to be spared. But the Sept. (from a different reading) gives: "Is death so bitter?" Vulg. "Does bitter death thus sever [me from life]?" (_Siccine separat amara mors?_) representing Agag as afraid....

_Samuel and Saul Parted Permanently._ 1 Samuel 15:24-35 24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord. 26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. 28 And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, _that is_ better than thou. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he _is_ not a man, that he should repent. 30 T

SAUL'S VICTORY OVER AMALEK. HIS DISOBEDIENCE AND REJECTION Amalek had attacked Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8) and opposed their entrance into Canaan (Numbers 14:45 : cp. Deuteronomy 25:7; They are mentioned as allies of the Midianites in Judges 7:12. The Amalekite nomads probably occupied a large tract of the wilderness S. of Judah. This chapter evidently comes from a different source from the preceding, which concludes the history of Saul. It forms the connexion between the history of Saul and that of David. We have no means of determining to what part of Saul's reign it belongs....

ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 15 GOD REFUSES SAUL AS KING V1 Samuel said to Saul, ‘The *Lord sent me to *anoint you as king over his people, the *Israelites. Now listen to this message from the *Lord. V2 This is what the most powerful *Lord says. “The *Israelites came out of the country of Egypt and went to the country of Canaan. But the *Amalekites tried to stop them. So I will punish the *Amalekites. V3 Go and attack the *Amalekites. Completely destroy everything that lives. Do not save anything. Kill the men and women, children and babies. Kill their cows and sheep. Kill their camels and *donkeys”.’ V4 So Saul called his army together. They met at Telaim

וַ יֵּ֥לֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הָ רָמָ֑תָה וְ שָׁא֛וּל עָלָ֥ה אֶל ־בֵּיתֹ֖ו גִּבְעַ֥ת שָׁאֽוּל׃...