1 Samuel 15:7

THE MESSAGE

Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt.

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul struck the `Amaleki, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Mitzrayim.

King James Version
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

Lexham English Bible
Then Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as one goes to Shur which is east of Egypt.

English Standard Version
And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.

New Century Version
Then Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought them all the way from Havilah to Shur, at the border of Egypt.

New English Translation
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is next to Egypt.

Amplified Bible
Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah going toward Shur, which is east of Egypt.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So Saul smote the Amalekites from Hauilah as thou commest to Shur, that is before Egypt,

Legacy Standard Bible
So Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

Contemporary English Version
and Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then Sha'ul attacked ‘Amalek, starting at Havilah and continuing toward Shur, at the border of Egypt.

Darby Translation
And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah as thou comest to Shur, which is opposite to Egypt.

Easy-to-Read Version
Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought them and chased them all the way from Havilah to Shur, at the border of Egypt.

George Lamsa Translation
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is over near Egypt.

Good News Translation
Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt;

Literal Translation
And Saul struck Amalek from Havilah, as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then smote Saul the Amalechites from Heuila vnto Sur (which lyeth ouer against Egipte)

American Standard Version
And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is before Egypt.

Bible in Basic English
And Saul made an attack on the Amalekites from Havilah on the road to Shur, which is before Egypt.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Heuila, as thou commest to Sur, that lyeth before Egypt.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is in front of Egypt.

King James Version (1611)
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Hauilah, vntill thou commest to Shur, that is ouer against Egypt.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Saul smote Amalec from Evilat to Sur fronting Egypt.

English Revised Version
And Saul Smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is before Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Saul smoot Amalech fro Euila, til thou come to Sur, which is ayens Egipt.

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah -- thy going in to Shur, which [is] on the front of Egypt,

Update Bible Version
And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah, [until] thou comest to Shur, that [is] over against Egypt.

World English Bible
Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.

New King James Version
And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

New Living Translation
Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.

New Life Bible
Then Saul destroyed the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, east of Egypt.

New Revised Standard
Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Saul smote Amalek, - from Havilah, till thou enterest Shur, which is over against Egypt.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul smote Amalec from Hevila, until thou comest to Sur, which is over against Egypt.

Revised Standard Version
And Saul defeated the Amal'ekites, from Hav'ilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

Contextual Overview

¹Samuel said to Saul, " God sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what God says. This is the God -of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: "‘I'm about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.'" Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon. Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place. Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban. Then God spoke to Samuel: "I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to God . As Samuel came close, Saul called out, " God 's blessings on you! I accomplished God 's plan to the letter!" Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?" "Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to God . But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban." "Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what God told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me." And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then God put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel. Then God sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, ‘Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.' So why did you not obey God ? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with God 's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?" Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey God . I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal—what's wrong with that?" Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God 's command, he says No to your kingship. Saul gave in and confessed, "I've sinned. I've trampled roughshod over God 's Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do. Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship God !" But Samuel refused: "No, I can't come alongside you in this. You rejected God 's command. Now God has rejected you as king over Israel." As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off. Samuel said, " God has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are. Israel's God-of-Glory doesn't deceive and he doesn't dither. He says what he means and means what he says." ³ Saul tried again, "I have sinned. But don't abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship God ." Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before God and worshiped. Then Samuel said, "Present King Agag of Amalek to me." Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he'd be better off dead. Samuel said, "Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!" And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of God right there in Gilgal. Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah. Samuel had nothing to do with Saul from then on, though he grieved long and deeply over him. But God was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place. ⁴Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon. ⁶ Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place. ⁷Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

smote: 1 Samuel 14:48, Job 21:30, Ecclesiastes 8:13

Havilah: This Havilah was probably situated in Arabia, and the district of Chaulon may mark the spot. It seems different from that encompassed by the river Pison, one of the rivers of Eden. Genesis 2:11, Genesis 25:18

Shur: 1 Samuel 27:8, Genesis 16:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 10:29 - Havilah Genesis 20:1 - Kadesh Exodus 15:22 - wilderness of Shur Exodus 17:14 - for I will Judges 12:15 - in the mount 1 Samuel 27:9 - left neither 1 Samuel 30:1 - the Amalekites 1 Chronicles 1:23 - Havilah 1 Chronicles 4:43 - the rest

Cross-References

Genesis 12:1
God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:7
God appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your children." Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.

Genesis 15:2
Abram said, " God , Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all."

Genesis 15:4
Then God 's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir."

Genesis 15:7
God continued, "I'm the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own."

Genesis 15:8
Abram said, "Master God , how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?"

Genesis 15:17
When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. That's when God made a covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria—the country of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."

Romans 4:13
That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise—and God's promise at that—you can't break it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul smote the Amalekites,.... Engaging in battle with them, he overcame them, and beat them, and slew great numbers of them:

from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt; having routed them in the valley, or in whatsoever place the battle was fought, he pursued them from one end of their country to the other; from Havilah, which lay to the northeast, to Shur, which lay to the southwest, and destroyed all that came in his way between those two points, see Genesis 25:18.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The district here described would stretch from Havilah on the extreme east to Shur, either near Suez, or further north on the coast road from Gaza to Egypt.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 15:7. From Havilah - to Shur — From Pelusium in Egypt, unto the Red Sea.-Josephus. But Havilah lay eastward from the Red Sea; the Amalekites lay between this and the way to Egypt towards Shur.