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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 15:14

And Samuel saith, `And what [is] the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agency;   Amalekites;   Church and State;   Falsehood;   Gilgal;   Minister, Christian;   Presumption;   Repentance;   Reproof;   Rulers;   Self-Righteousness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Saul, King of Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amalekites, the;   Ox, the;   Sheep;   Sin;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gilgal;   Samuel;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hear, Hearing;   Mediator, Mediation;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Sin;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   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 ;   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 - Saul;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parashiyyot, the Four;   Repentance;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”
Hebrew Names Version
Shemu'el said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
King James Version
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Lexham English Bible
But Samuel said, "Then what is this bleating of the sheep that I hear in my ears and the lowing of the cattle that I am hearing?"
English Standard Version
And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?"
New Century Version
But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?"
New English Translation
Samuel replied, "If that is the case, then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?"
Amplified Bible
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
New American Standard Bible
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Samuel saide, What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
Legacy Standard Bible
But Samuel said, "What then is this sound of the sheep in my ears and the sound of the oxen which I am hearing?"
Contemporary English Version
"Then why," Samuel asked, "do I hear sheep and cattle?"
Complete Jewish Bible
But Sh'mu'el answered, "If so, why do I hear sheep bleating and cows mooing?"
Darby Translation
And Samuel said, What [means] then this bleating of sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear?
Easy-to-Read Version
But Samuel said, "Then what is that sound I hear? Why do I hear sheep and cattle?"
George Lamsa Translation
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?
Good News Translation
Samuel asked, "Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?"
Literal Translation
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the flock in my ears, and the sound of the herd that I hear?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Samuel answered: What crye is this then of shepe in myne eares, and the crye of oxen which I heare?
American Standard Version
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Bible in Basic English
And Samuel said, What then is this sound of the crying of sheep and the noise of oxen which comes to my ears?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Samuel sayde: What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Samuel said: 'What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?'
King James Version (1611)
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Samuel said, What then is the bleating of this flock in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear?
English Revised Version
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Berean Standard Bible
But Samuel replied, "Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Samuel seide, And what is the vois of flockis, that sowneth in myn eeris, and of grete beestis, whiche Y here?
Update Bible Version
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Webster's Bible Translation
And Samuel said, What [meaneth] then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
World English Bible
Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
New King James Version
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
New Living Translation
"Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded.
New Life Bible
But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear the sounds of sheep and cattle?"
New Revised Standard
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of sheep, in mine ears, - and the lowing of oxen, which I can hear?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel said: What meaneth then this bleating of the flocks, which soundeth in my ears, and the lowing of the herds, which I hear?
Revised Standard Version
And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
THE MESSAGE
Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

Contextual Overview

10 And the word of Jehovah is unto Samuel, saying, 11 `I have repented that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he hath turned back from after Me, and My words he hath not performed;' and it is displeasing to Samuel, and he crieth unto Jehovah all the night. 12 And Samuel riseth early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, `Saul hath come in to Carmel, and lo, he is setting up to himself a monument, and goeth round, and passeth over, and goeth down to Gilgal.' 13 And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, `Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.' 14 And Samuel saith, `And what [is] the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?' 15 And Saul saith, `From Amalek they have brought them, because the people had pity on the best of the flock, and of the herd, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God, and the remnant we have devoted.' 16 And Samuel saith unto Saul, `Desist, and I declare to thee that which Jehovah hath spoken unto me to-night;' and he saith to him, `Speak.' 17 And Samuel saith, `Art not thou, if thou [art] little in thine own eyes, head of the tribes of Israel? and Jehovah doth anoint thee for king over Israel, 18 and Jehovah sendeth thee in the way, and saith, Go, and thou hast devoted the sinners, the Amalekite, and fought against them till they are consumed; 19 and why hast thou not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah -- and dost fly unto the spoil, and dost do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What meaneth: Psalms 36:2, Psalms 50:16-21, Jeremiah 2:18, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 2:22, Jeremiah 2:23, Jeremiah 2:34-37, Malachi 3:13-15, Luke 19:22, Romans 3:19, 1 Corinthians 4:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:29 - General Numbers 20:11 - smote Numbers 31:14 - wroth Judges 16:15 - when thine Psalms 36:1 - The transgression Proverbs 16:2 - the ways Proverbs 28:4 - but Proverbs 30:12 - that are Luke 15:29 - Lo Acts 21:13 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision, saying, `Fear not, Abram, I [am] a shield to thee, thy reward [is] exceeding great.'
Genesis 15:2
And Abram saith, `Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'
Genesis 15:4
And lo, the word of Jehovah [is] unto him, saying, `This [one] doth not heir thee; but he who cometh out from thy bowels, he doth heir thee;'
Genesis 15:5
and He bringeth him out without, and saith, `Look attentively, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith to him, `Thus is thy seed.'
Genesis 15:6
And he hath believed in Jehovah, and He reckoneth it to him -- righteousness.
Genesis 15:7
And He saith unto him, `I [am] Jehovah who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give to thee this land to possess it;'
Genesis 15:9
And He saith unto him, `Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird;'
Genesis 15:11
and the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn back.
Genesis 15:14
and the nation also whom they serve I judge, and after this they go out with great substance;
Genesis 15:18
In that day hath Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, `To thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Phrat,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Samuel said, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears,.... For the orders were to destroy all living creatures belonging to the Amalekites, 1 Samuel 15:3 if therefore Saul had performed the commandment of the Lord, as he said he had, from whence were these sheep Samuel heard bleating?

and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? where do they come from? these questions he put to convict him of the falsehood he had delivered; the bleating and lowing of these creatures proved him a liar, and were witnesses of his breach of the divine command; and one would think every bleating and lowing of these must alarm his conscience, unless dreadfully stupefied.


 
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