Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

1 Samuel 15:21

The soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Amalekites;   Church and State;   Falsehood;   Gilgal;   Minister, Christian;   Presumption;   Repentance;   Reproof;   Responsibility;   Rulers;   Saul;   Self-Righteousness;   Self-Will;   Thompson Chain Reference - Excuses;   Justification;   Responsibility;   Samuel;   Saul, King of Israel;   Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Sin;   Stewardship-Ownership;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amalekites, the;   Self-Will and Stubbornness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gilgal;   Samuel;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Esther, Theology of;   Mediator, Mediation;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Sin;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Agag;   Amalek, Amalekites;   Ban;   Israel;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Agag ;   Amalek, Amalekites ;   Gilgal;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mordecai;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Agag;   Amalek;   Saul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Accursed;   Ahimelech;   Gilgal;   Punishments;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parashiyyot, the Four;   Sacrifice;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
Hebrew Names Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.
King James Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
Lexham English Bible
The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."
English Standard Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
New English Translation
But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle—the best of what was to be slaughtered—to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
Amplified Bible
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things [that were] to be totally destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
New American Standard Bible
"But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the people tooke of the spoyle, sheepe, and oxen, and the chiefest of the things which shoulde haue bene destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
Legacy Standard Bible
But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."
Contemporary English Version
All the animals were going to be destroyed anyway. That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the Lord your God."
Complete Jewish Bible
But the people took some of the spoil, the best of the sheep and cattle set aside for destruction, to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal."
Darby Translation
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.
Easy-to-Read Version
And the soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."
George Lamsa Translation
But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.
Good News Translation
But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God."
Literal Translation
And the people took from the spoil of the flock, and the first of the herd, that devoted, to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but ye people haue take of the spoyle, shepe & oxen, and ye best amoge the damned, to offer vnto ye LORDE thy God in Gilgall.
American Standard Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.
Bible in Basic English
But the people took some of their goods, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which were put to the curse, to make an offering of them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the people toke of ye spoyle, sheepe, oxen, and the chiefest of the thynges whiche shoulde haue ben destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.'
King James Version (1611)
But the people tooke of the spoile, sheepe and oxen, the chiefe of the things which should haue bene vtterly destroyed, to sacrifice vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But the people took of the spoils the best flocks and herds out of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our God in Galgal.
English Revised Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
Berean Standard Bible
The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the puple took of the prey, scheep and oxun, the firste fruytis of tho thingis, that ben slayn, that thei make sacrifice to her Lord God in Galgalis.
Young's Literal Translation
and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.'
Update Bible Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.
Webster's Bible Translation
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
World English Bible
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.
New King James Version
But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
New Living Translation
Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
New Life Bible
But the people took some of their things that were left. They took sheep and cattle and the best of the things to be destroyed, to give to the Lord your God at Gilgal."
New Revised Standard
But from the spoil the people took sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the people took, of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things so devoted, - to sacrifice unto Yahweh thy God, in Gilgal.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the people took of the spoils, sheep and oxen, as the firstfruits of those things that were slain, to offer sacrifice to the Lord their God in Galgal.
Revised Standard Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

Contextual Overview

10 Then the Lord spoke his word to Samuel: 11 "I am sorry I made Saul king, because he has stopped following me and has not obeyed my commands." Samuel was upset, and he cried out to the Lord all night long. 12 Early the next morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul. But the people told Samuel, "Saul has gone to Carmel, where he has put up a monument in his own honor. Now he has gone down to Gilgal." 13 When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said, "May the Lord bless you! I have obeyed the Lord 's commands." 14 But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?" 15 Saul answered, "The soldiers took them from the Amalekites. They saved the best sheep and cattle to offer as sacrifices to the Lord your God, but we destroyed all the other animals." 16 Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." Saul answered, "Tell me." 17 Samuel said, "Once you didn't think much of yourself, but now you have become the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord appointed you to be king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission. He said, ‘Go and destroy those evil people, the Amalekites. Make war on them until all of them are dead.' 19 Why didn't you obey the Lord ? Why did you take the best things? Why did you do what the Lord said was wrong?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: 1 Samuel 15:15, Genesis 3:13, Exodus 32:22, Exodus 32:23

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 13:9 - he offered 2 Chronicles 15:11 - offered Proverbs 21:27 - sacrifice Ecclesiastes 5:1 - give Isaiah 58:2 - they seek Isaiah 61:8 - I hate Matthew 25:44 - when Matthew 26:9 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 15:15
And you, Abram, will die in peace and will be buried at an old age.
Genesis 15:19
This is the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
Exodus 33:2
I will send an angel to lead you, and I will force these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
Exodus 34:11
Obey the things I command you today, and I will force out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites ahead of you.
Deuteronomy 7:1
The Lord your God will bring you into the land that you are entering and that you will have as your own. As you go in, he will force out these nations: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations that are stronger than you.
Matthew 8:28
When Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the area of the Gadarene people, two men who had demons in them met him. These men lived in the burial caves and were so dangerous that people could not use the road by those caves.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the people took the spoil, the sheep and oxen,.... Still he continues to lay the blame on the people, when he, as king, ought to have restrained them:

the chief of the things, which should have been utterly destroyed; this betrays him, and is an evidence against him; he could not plead ignorance, he knew and he owns, that according to the command of God they were all devoted to destruction; and therefore he ought not to have suffered the people to have spared any on whatsoever pretence, but to have seen all destroyed; but he was as deeply in it as they, and therefore palliates the thing, and endeavours to excuse them by observing, that their end was good, the service and glory of God, which perhaps were never thought of till now: namely,

to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal; as peace offerings, by way of thanksgiving for the victory obtained, 1 Samuel 15:15.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord thy God - There is an implied censure of Samuel in this phrase. Saul says that Samuel blames him for what was done in honor of Samuel’s God; as if be had more zeal for the glory of God than was felt by Samuel.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 15:21. To sacrifice unto the Lord — Thus he endeavours to excuse the people. They did not take the spoil in order to enrich themselves by it, but to sacrifice unto the Lord; and did not this motive justify their conduct?


 
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