Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

1 Samuel 15:8

He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agag;   Agency;   Amalekites;   Covetousness;   Falsehood;   Gilgal;   Repentance;   Retaliation;   Rulers;   War;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amalekites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Agag;   Amalekites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Saul, king of israel;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Amalekite;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Haman;   Purim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Agag;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Agag;   Amalek, Amalekites;   Ban;   Havilah;   Israel;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Agag ;   Amalek, Amalekites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mordecai;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Agag;   Amalek;   Saul;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'gag;   Pu'rim;   Saul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Rephidim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Agag;   Amalek;   Purim;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Agag;   Amalekites;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Esther;   Parashiyyot, the Four;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword.
Hebrew Names Version
He took Agag the king of the `Amaleki alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
King James Version
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Lexham English Bible
He captured Agag the king of Amalek alive, but all the people he utterly destroyed with the edge of the sword.
English Standard Version
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword.
New Century Version
He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he killed all of Agag's army with the sword.
New English Translation
He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag's people with the sword.
Amplified Bible
He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, though he totally destroyed all [the rest of] the people with the sword.
New American Standard Bible
He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And tooke Agag the King of the Amalekites aliue, and destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he seized Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword.
Contemporary English Version
Every Amalekite was killed except King Agag.
Complete Jewish Bible
He took Agag the king of ‘Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword.
Darby Translation
And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Easy-to-Read Version
Agag was the king of the Amalekites. Saul captured Agag alive. Saul let Agag live, but he killed all the men in Agag's army.
George Lamsa Translation
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Good News Translation
he captured King Agag of Amalek alive and killed all the people.
Literal Translation
And he captured Agag the king of Amalek alive. But he exterminated all the people with the mouth of the sword.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& toke Agag the kynge of ye Amalechites alyue, & damned all ye people wt the edge of the swerde.
American Standard Version
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Bible in Basic English
He took Agag, king of the Amalekites, prisoner, and put all the people to the sword without mercy.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And toke Agag the king of the Amalekites alyue, and vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sworde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
King James Version (1611)
And hee tooke Agag the king of the Amalekites aliue, and vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he took Agag the king of Amalec alive, and he slew all the people and Hierim with the edge of the sword.
English Revised Version
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Berean Standard Bible
He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he took Agag quyke, the kyng of Amalech; sotheli he killide bi the scharpnesse of swerd alle the comyn puple.
Young's Literal Translation
and he catcheth Agag king of Amalek alive, and all the people he hath devoted by the mouth of the sword;
Update Bible Version
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
World English Bible
He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
New King James Version
He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
New Living Translation
He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else.
New Life Bible
He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and destroyed all the people with the sword.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he took Agag, king of Amalek, alive, - but, all the people, devoted he to destruction at the edge of the sword.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he took Agag, the king of Amalec, alive: but all the common people he slew with the edge of the sword.
Revised Standard Version
And he took Agag the king of the Amal'ekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

Contextual Overview

1 Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord . 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" 4 So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand soldiers of Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. 7 Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was valuable, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Agag: 1 Samuel 15:3, Numbers 24:7, 1 Kings 20:30, 1 Kings 20:34-42, Esther 3:1

utterly: 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 30:1, Joshua 10:39, Joshua 11:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 17:14 - for I will Numbers 24:20 - shall be that he perish for ever Deuteronomy 2:34 - utterly destroyed Joshua 6:21 - utterly Joshua 8:23 - General Joshua 11:15 - he left nothing 1 Samuel 15:20 - have brought 2 Samuel 21:2 - in his zeal 1 Kings 20:32 - he is my brother 1 Chronicles 4:43 - the rest

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "O Lord God , what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
Genesis 15:4
But the word of the Lord came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir."
Genesis 15:9
He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Genesis 15:10
He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.
Genesis 15:13
Then the Lord said to Abram, "Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years;
Genesis 15:14
but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
Genesis 15:17
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
2 Kings 20:8
Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?"
Psalms 86:17
Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, Lord , have helped me and comforted me.
Isaiah 7:11
Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive,.... This name seems to be a common name of the kings of these people, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptians, see Numbers 24:2. When this king fell into the hands of Saul, he did not put him to death, as he should have done, but preserved him; for what reasons, see in the following verse:

and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword; that is, all that came in his way, or fell into his hands; all between Havilah and Shur; all excepting those that made their escape, for we after read of Amalekites, and that in large bodies, 1 Samuel 27:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The saving Agag alive was in direct violation of the devotion to destruction.


 
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