Study Desk

The Lord Rejects Saul as King

Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint^(a) you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord .

This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites^(b) for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally^(c) destroy^[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah.

Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine.

Then he said to the Kenites,^(d) "Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

Then Saul attacked the Amalekites^(e) all the way from Havilah to Shur,^(f) near the eastern border of Egypt.

He took Agag^(g) king of the Amalekites alive,^(h) and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword.

But Saul and the army spared⁽ⁱ⁾ Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves^[b] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel:

"I regret^(j) that I have made Saul king, because he has turned^(k) away from me and has not carried out my instructions."^(l) Samuel was angry,^(m) and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel.⁽ⁿ⁾ There he has set up a monument^(o) in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord 's instructions."

But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"

Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."

"Enough!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied.

Samuel said, "Although you were once small^(p) in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.

And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.'

Why did you not obey the Lord ? Why did you pounce on the plunder^(q) and do evil in the eyes of the Lord ?"

"But I did obey^(r) the Lord ," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.

The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal."

But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord ? To obey is better than sacrifice,^(s) and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is like the sin of divination,^(t) and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected^(u) the word of the Lord , he has rejected you as king."

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned.^(v) I violated^(w) the Lord 's command and your instructions. I was afraid^(x) of the men and so I gave in to them.

Now I beg you, forgive^(y) my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord ."

But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected^(z) the word of the Lord , and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!"

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe,^(aa) and it tore.^(ab)

Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn^(ac) the kingdom^(ad) of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.^(ae)

He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie^(af) or change^(ag) his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind."

Saul replied, "I have sinned.^(ah) But please honor^(ai) me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God."

So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord .

Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him in chains.^[c] And he thought, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women."^(aj) And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

Then Samuel left for Ramah,^(ak) but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah^(al) of Saul.

Until the day Samuel^(am) died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned^(an) for him. And the Lord regretted^(ao) that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Anoints David

The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn^(a) for Saul, since I have rejected^(b) him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil^(c) and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse^(d) of Bethlehem. I have chosen^(e) one of his sons to be king."

But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord .'

Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show^(f) you what to do. You are to anoint^(g) for me the one I indicate."

Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem,^(h) the elders of the town trembled⁽ⁱ⁾ when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?^(j)"

Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord . Consecrate^(k) yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab^(l) and thought, "Surely the Lord 's anointed stands here before the Lord ."

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance,^(m) but the Lord looks at the heart."⁽ⁿ⁾

Then Jesse called Abinadab^(o) and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one either."

Jesse then had Shammah^(p) pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the Lord chosen this one."

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not chosen these."

So he asked Jesse, "Are these all^(q) the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tending the sheep."^(r) Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

So he^(s) sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome^(t) features. Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one."

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed^(u) him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord ^(v) came powerfully upon David.^(w) Samuel then went to Ramah.

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed^(x) from Saul, and an evil^[a] spirit^(y) from the Lord tormented him.^(z)

Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre.^(aa) He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better."

So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me."

One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse^(ab) of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior.^(ac) He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with^(ad) him."

Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.^(ae)"

So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread,^(af) a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

David came to Saul and entered his service.^(ag) Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit^(ah) would leave him.