1 Samuel 15

SAmuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people The Lord made thee King, and therefore thou art highly obliged to serve and obey him., over Israel: now therefore hearken Th... hast committed one Error already, for which... verely rebuked and threatned: now therefore ma... for... mer Error, and regain Gods Favour by thy exact to what he now commands. thou unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalck did to Israel I seem to have forgotten, but now I will show that I remember, and now will revenge those old Iniuries done 400 Years ago, which now I will punish in their Children: which was the more just, because they continued in their Parents cruel Practices, below, v. 33., how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt When he was newly come out of cruel and lorig Bondage, and were now weak, and weary, and faint, and hungry, Deut. 25. 18. and therefore it was Barbarous and Inhuman, instead of that Pity which even Nature prompted them to afford, to add affliction to the afflicted; it was also horrid Impiety to fight against God himself, and to lift up their Hand in a manner against the Lord's Throne, as some Translate these words, Exod. 17. 16. whilst they struck at that People which God had brought forth in so stupendious and Miraculous a way..

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have Both Persons and Goods, Kill all that live, and Consume all things without life, for I will have no Name nor Remnant of that People whom long since I have Cursed and Devoted to utter Destruction., and spare them not Show no Compassion or Favour to any of them. The same thing repeated to prevent mistake, and oblige Saul to the exact performance hereof; or, to leave him without excuse, in case of neglect.; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling For their Parents Crime and Punishment: which was not unjust, because God is the Supreme Lord and giver of Life, and can require his own when he pleaseth; Infants also are Born in sin, Psal. 51. 5. and therefore liable to God's wrath, Eph. 2. 3. and to death, Rom. 5. 12, 14. Their death also was rather a Mercy than a Curse to them, as being the occasion of preventing the vast increase of their Sin and Punishment., ox and sheep, camel and asse Which being all made for Man's benefit, it is not strange nor unjust, if they suffer with him, and for him, and for the instruction of Mankind..

And Saul called the people together, and numbred them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah Who are particularly Noted here, as also chap. 11. 8. either as Select Persons of extraordinary Strength and Courage: or to commend that Tribe, which though the Kingdom had been promised to their own Tribe, yet were forward in serving and obeying a King of another, and that a far meaner Tribe..

And Saul came to a city of Amalek Their chief City, where their King was, as is probable from v. 8., and laid wait Intending to draw them forth of their City by like that of Ioshua, I... sh 7. an I then to intercept them, and so surprize their City: which hapily they did, though it be not here Recorded, it being not worth whi... e to mention all the minute Circumstances of such matters. in the valley.

¶ And Saul said unto the Kenites A People descending from, or nearly related unto Iet... o, who anciently dwelt in Rocks near the Amalekites, Numb. 24. 21. and afterwards some of them dwelt in Iudah, Iudg. 1. 16. whence it is probable they removed, (which, dwelling in Tents, they could easily do) and retired to their old habitation, because of the Wars and Troubles wherewith Iudah was annoyed., Go, depart, get ye down from among the Amalekites, le... t I destroy you with them: for ye showed kindness Some of your Progenitors did so, Exod. 18. 12. Numb. 10. 31. and for their sakes all of you shall fare the better. You were not Guilty of that sin for which Amalek is now to be Destroyed. all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. q i. e. From one end of their Country to the other, he s... ote all that he met with: but a great number of them... led away upon the noise of his coming, as is usual in such cases, and secured themselves in other places, until the Storm was over, when they returned again: of whom we read before, chap. 13. 6. and 14. 22.

And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive Whom Saul spared, either out of foolish pity for the goodliness of his Person, which Iosephus Notes: or, for his respect to his Royal Majesty, in the preservation of which he thought himself concerned: or, for the Glory of his Triumph: Compare v. 12., and utterly destroyed all the people To wit, the Body of the People, but not every individual Person, as has been showed. Universal Particles are commonly thus understood, as is confessed. with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people The one proposed to do so, and the other consented to it, and so both were Guilty. spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good Which it is more than probable they reserved for their own use, rather than for Sacrifice; because they knew God would not accept a Sacrifice contrary to his own command., and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile, and refuse, that they destroyed utterly Thus they obey God only so far as they could without inconvenience to themselves; they Destroyed only what was not worth keeping, nor fit for their use..

¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

It repenteth me Repentance properly Notes grief of heart, and change of Counsels, and therefore cannot be in God who is unchangeable, most Wise, and most Blessed; but it is ascribed to God in such cases, when men give God cause to Repent, and when God alters his Course and Method of dealing, and Treats a Person as if he did indeed Repent of all the kindness he had showed to him. that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the LORD all night To implore his Pardoning Mercy for Saul, and for the People; so far was he from rejoycing in their Calamities, as an envious and self-seeking Person would have done..

And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel Not Mount Carmel, of which Iosh. 12. 22. but another Mountain or Town in the Tribe of Iudah; of which see I... sh. 15. 55., and behold, he set him up a place i. e. A Monument or Trophy of his Victory, as the same Hebrew word is used, 2 Sam. 18. 18. And this may be here Noted by way of censure, That he set it up not to God's honour, but to himself, i. e. to his own praise; which he minded in the first place, and afterwards went to Gilgal, as it here follows, to offer Sacrifice to God., and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

And Samuel came unto Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD I thank thee, and I beg that God would Bless thee, for sending me upon this Employment, and giving me this opportunity of manifesting my Obedience to God., I have performed the commandment of the LORD To wit, for the main and substance of it, to wit, the Extirpation of that wicked People: for he thought the sparing of Agag and the Cattel very inconsiderable in the case; though indeed it was expresly contrary to Gods command: but self-Interest made him exceeding partial in his own Cause: or else like a bold Hypocrite, he pretends that for his part he had obeyed God; resolving, it seems, to cast the blame upon the People, as he did..

And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear How can this Evidence of Guilt consist with the profession of thy Innocency??

And Saul said, They i. e. The People. Thus, after the manner of all Hypocrites, he excuseth himself, and lays the blame upon the People; whereas they could not do it without his privity and consent; and he should have used his Power and Authority to over-rule them for God's sake, as he had done formerly for his own sake. But the truth is, he was zealous for his own Honour and Interest, but luke-warm where God only was concerned. have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sh... ep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD It is not likely that this was his and the Peoples Design; but this he now pretends, and ascribes that to his Piety, which was indeed the effect of his Impiety and Avarice. thy God Whom thou Lovest and Servest, and therefore must needs be pleased with our Pious respect to him and his Service., and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD has said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight i. e. Modest, Humble and Submissive, as 1 Sam. 9. 21. and 10. 22. Whereby he implies, that now he was grown Proud, and Stubborn, and Impudent, both to commit sin, and justify it., wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners So called by way of Eminency, as that word is used, Gen. 13. 13. Matth. 9. 19. Iohn 9. 24, 31. the Amalekites, and fight against them, until they be consumed.

Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst flye upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD Who cannot be deceived by thy fair professions of Religion, but knows very well, that thou didst not seek Sacrifices for God, but Prey to thy self.?

And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD He addeth Obstinacy and Impenitency to his Crime, and justifies his Fact, though he has nothing of any Moment to say, but what he said before. So he gives Samuel the lye, and reflects upon him, as one that had falsly Accused him., and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek To be dealt with as God pleaseth, and as thou thinkest., and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed Heb. the chief of the devoted things: which being devoted to Destruction, I thought it most proper to destroy them by way of Sacrifice to God. But God had commanded Saul himself to smite and slay all upon the place, above, verse 3., to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

And Samuel said, Has the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice Because Obedience to God is a Moral Duty, constantly and indispensably necessary; but Sacrifice is but a Ceremonial Institution, sometimes unnecessary, as it was in the Wilderness; and sometimes sinful, when it is offered by a polluted hand, or in an irregular manner. Therefore thy gross Disobedience to Gods express command, is not to be compensated with Sacrifice.: and to hearken i. e. To obey, as hearing is oft used in Scripture., than the fat of rams Then the choicest part of all the Sacrifice, to wit, the Fat, which was appropriated to God, Levit. 3. 16. Whereas the Offerer might partake of other parts of it..

For rebellion i. e. Disobedience to Gods express Precept, which was Saul's case. is as the sin of witchcraft Is, though not so great, yet as inexcusable and impudent a sin, as Witchcraft; as plainly Condemned, and as certainly Destructive and Damnable., and stubbornness Either, wilful and presumptuous sin, whereby a man violently breaks loose from Gods command, and resists his Authority: Or rather, Perseverance or Contumacy in sin, justifying it, and pleading for it, which was Saul's present crime. is as iniquity and idolatry Or, the Iniquity of Idolatry; this being an Hendiadis; as Iudgment and Iustice, Deut. 16. 18. is put for the Iudgment of Iustice, or Iust Iudgment. Or, Idolatry (for so the Hebrew word Aven, signifies, as Ier. 10. 15. Hos. 4. 15. and 10. 5. Compare with 1 King. 12. 29.) even the Teraphim, which is here mentioned as one of the worst kinds of Idolatry.: because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected thee from being king i. e. Has pronounced the Sentence of Rejection: for that he was not actually Rejected or Deposed by God, plainly appears, because not only the People, but even David, after this, owned him as King; and Samuel, at Saul's desire, did honour him; i. e. own him as King, before the People, v. 30..

¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned Which confession proceeded not from true Repentance, but from the sense of his great Danger, and from a desire of recalling that dreadful Sentence denounced against him.: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words i. e. The Commandment of the Lord delivered to me by thy words. Another Hendiadis.; because I feared the people Who, as thou knowest, are set upon mischief, and would probably have broken forth into a Mutiny or Rebellion, had I done otherwise. But how little he feared the People, may be seen by 1 Sam. 11. 7. and 14. 24. But this was a false cause: nor does he acknowledge the true cause, which was his Covetousness, and because he did not fear God., and obeyed their voice.

Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin Use thy great Interest with God to obtain the Pardon of my sin. Or, do thou Pardon my sin against thee: for he had sinned not only against God, but against Samuel also, as Gods Prophet; and therefore needed a Pardon both from God and Man., and turn again with me To Gilgal, whence Saul was gone forth to meet Samuel; and Samuel is here said to turn again to Gilgal; not properly, for he had not now been there: but by way of Concomitancy, because he accompanied Saul, who was come thence, and returned thither: See the like expression Ruth 1. 10, 22. and 2. 6., that I may worship the LORD That I may offer further Sacrifices to God; partly, to Praise him for the past Victory; and partly, to Implore his Mercy, and the taking off of my sin and punishment. This was a politick device of Saul's; That Samuel might at least seem to countenance his Design, in reserving the Cattel for Sacrifice: which Samuel seeing, refused to do it. Heb. and I will worship the Lord; i. e. I will seek his Pardon and Favour..

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee This was no lye, though he afterwards returned, because he spoke what he meant, his words and intentions agreed together, though afterwards he saw reason to change his intentions. Compare Gen. 19. 2, 3. Which may relieve many perplexed Consciences, who think themselves obliged to do what they have said they would do, though they see just cause to change their minds.: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel.

And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

And Samuel said unto him, The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee Samuel makes use of the emergent occasion, as a sign, to signify and confirm his former Prediction. this day, and has given it to a neighbour of thine Either, another Man: or, another Israelite: for the word Neighbour, is used both ways: or rather, one of a Neighbouring Tribe, even Iudah, whose Inheritance did not only joyn to that of Benjamin, but was partly mixed with it., that is better than thou.

And also the strength of Israel So he calls God here; partly, to show the reason why God neither will nor can lye; because lying is a weakness, and proceeds from the sense of a Mans weakness, because he cannot many times accomplish his Design without lying and dissimulation; which therefore many Princes have used for this very reason. But, says he, God needs no such Artifices; he can do whatsoever he pleaseth by his Absolute Power, and has no need to use lyes to accomplish his Will: partly, to show that Israel should be no loser by Saul's loss, as he might vainly imagine, because he had saved them from their Enemies on every side, chap. 14. 47. For not Saul, but God, was the Strength and Protector of Israel, and he would continue to save them when Saul was lost and gone: and partly, to assure Saul that God would Execute this Threatning, because he wanted not strength to do it, and none could hinder him in it. will not lie k, nor repent i. e. Nor ehange his Counsel; which also is an effect of weakness and imperfection, either of Wisdom or Power.: for he is not a man that he should repent.

Then he said, I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel Here... e plainly discovers his Hypocrisie, and the true motive of this and his former Confession; he was not solicitous for the Favour of God, but for his Honour and Power with Israel., and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

So Samuel turned again after Saul Not to Worship the Lord with him, for that he did not; and therefore it is here mentioned that Saul only Worshipped the Lord: but for two other reasons; First, That the People might not upon pretence of this Sentence of rejection, immediately withdraw all Respect and Obedience to their Sovereign; whereby they would both have sinned against God, and have been as Sheep without a Shepherd. Secondly, That he might rectify Saul's Error, and execute Gods Judgment upon Agag., and Saul worshipped the LORD.

¶ Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites: and Agag came unto him delicately Or, in Delights; or, in his Ornaments; i. e. He came not like an Offendor, expecting the Sentence of Death; but in that Garb and Gesture which became his Quality.. And Agag said Or, for Agag said: This being the reason why he came so., Surely the bitterness of death is past I who have escaped Death from the hands of a Warlike Prince in the fury of Battel, shall certainly never suffer Death from an old Prophet in time of Peace..

And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless Whereby it appears; that he was a cruel Tyrant, and Guilty of many Bloody Actions, and that towards Gods People, though it be not related elsewhere. And this seems to be added for the fuller vindication of Gods justice, and to show, that although God did at this time remember and revenge a Crime committed by this Mans Ancestors 400 Years ago, yet he did not punish an Innocent Son for his Fathers Crimes, but one that allowed and persisted in the same evil courses., so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces This he did by Di... ine instinct, and in pursuance of Gods express and particular Command, above, v. 3. which being sinfully neglected by Saul, is now executed by Samuel. See the like example 1 King. 18. 40. But these are no presidents for private Persons to take the Sword of Justice into their hands. For we must live by the Laws of God, and not by extraordinary examples. before the LORD Either, before the Ark, which, it seems, Saul carried with him in this, as he did, in his former expedition, chap. 14. 18. or, before Gods Altar: or, in the publick Assembly. in Gilgal.

¶ Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

And Samuel came no more to see Saul i. e. To visit him, either, in token of Respect or Friendship: or, to seek Counsel from God for him, or to give Counsel to him. Seeing is put for Visiting here, and 2 King. 8. 29. Otherwise he did see him afterwards, chap. 19. 24. Though indeed it was not Samuel that came thither with design to see Saul, which is implied in the Phrase here; but Saul went thither to see Samuel, and that accidentally. until the day of his death: nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul i. e. To visit him, either, in token of Respect or Friendship: or, to seek Counsel from God for him, or to give Counsel to him. Seeing is put for Visiting here, and 2 King. 8. 29. Otherwise he did see him afterwards, chap. 19. 24. Though indeed it was not Samuel that came thither with design to see Saul, which is implied in the Phrase here; but Saul went thither to see Samuel, and that accidentally.: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. x Partly, for Saul's sake, whose sad condition he lamented: and partly, for Israel's sake, whose estate he feared might by this means be doubtful and dangerous.