1 Samuel 15:13
New International Version
When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

New Living Translation
When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the LORD bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the LORD’s command!”

English Standard Version
And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”

Berean Standard Bible
When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

King James Bible
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

New King James Version
Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”

New American Standard Bible
So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.”

NASB 1995
Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.”

NASB 1977
And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of Yahweh! I have established the word of Yahweh.”

Amplified Bible
So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD. I have carried out the command of the LORD.”

Christian Standard Bible
When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

American Standard Version
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, "I hope the LORD will bless you! I have done what the LORD told me."

English Revised Version
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Samuel came to Saul, who said, "The LORD bless you. I carried out the LORD's instructions."

Good News Translation
Samuel went up to Saul, who greeted him, saying, "The LORD bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the LORD's command."

International Standard Version
Samuel approached Saul. "May the LORD bless you," Saul said. "I've carried out the LORD's command."

Majority Standard Bible
When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

NET Bible
When Samuel came to him, Saul said to him, "May the LORD bless you! I have done what the LORD said."

New Heart English Bible
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, "You are blessed by the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

World English Bible
Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Samuel comes to Saul, and Saul says to him, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH; I have performed the word of YHWH.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, 'Blessed art thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Samuel will come to Saul: and Saul will say to him, Blessed thou of Jehovah: I set up the word of Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Samuel was come to Saul, Saul said to him: Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when Samuel had gone to Saul, Saul said to him: “You are the blessed of the Lord. I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.”

New American Bible
When Samuel came to him, Saul greeted him: “The LORD bless you! I have kept the command of the LORD.”

New Revised Standard Version
When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “May you be blessed by the LORD; I have carried out the command of the LORD.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, Blessed be the LORD, who has performed his commandment.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shemueil came to Shaul, and Shaul said to him: “Blessed is LORD JEHOVAH who has established his word!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him: 'Blessed be thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said to him, Blessed art thou of the Lord: I have performed all that the Lord said.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samuel Denounces Saul
12Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.” 13When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” 14But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 13:13-14
“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. / But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”

1 Samuel 16:1
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”

1 Samuel 28:18
Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the LORD has done this to you today.

2 Samuel 12:7-9
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. / I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. / Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Jeremiah 7:22-23
For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, / but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Amos 5:21-23
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. / Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

Matthew 15:8-9
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Mark 7:6-9
Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ / You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.” ...

Luke 6:46
Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 15:14
You are My friends if you do what I command you.

Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.


Treasury of Scripture

And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said to him, Blessed be you of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

Blessed

1 Samuel 13:10
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

Genesis 14:19
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

Judges 17:2
And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.

I have performed

1 Samuel 15:9,11
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly…

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Proverbs 27:2
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

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Bless Blessed Blessing Carried Command Commandment Instructions Lord's Ordered Performed Reached Samuel Saul Word
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Bless Blessed Blessing Carried Command Commandment Instructions Lord's Ordered Performed Reached Samuel Saul Word
1 Samuel 15
1. Samuel sends Saul to destroy Amalek
6. Saul favors the Kenites
7. He spares Agag and the best of the spoil
10. Samuel denounces unto Saul God's rejection of him for his disobedience
24. Saul's humiliation
32. Samuel kills Agag
34. Samuel and Saul part














When Samuel reached him
The arrival of Samuel, the prophet, signifies a moment of divine confrontation. Samuel, whose name in Hebrew (שְׁמוּאֵל, Shemu'el) means "heard of God," represents God's voice and authority. His reaching Saul is not just a physical journey but a spiritual one, where God's judgment and truth are about to be revealed. Historically, prophets were seen as God's mouthpieces, and their presence often indicated a significant message from God.

Saul said
Saul, the first king of Israel, is a complex figure. His name in Hebrew (שָׁאוּל, Sha'ul) means "asked for" or "prayed for," reflecting Israel's desire for a king. Saul's words here are crucial as they reveal his heart and mindset. In the context of ancient Israel, a king was expected to lead with integrity and obedience to God, yet Saul's statement will soon be shown to be superficial.

May the LORD bless you
This greeting is a customary blessing, invoking Yahweh's favor. The use of "LORD" (יהוה, Yahweh) is significant, as it is the covenant name of God, emphasizing a personal relationship. Saul's use of this blessing may seem pious, but it is ironic given the context. It reflects a superficial religiosity, a common theme in Scripture where outward expressions do not always match inward realities.

I have carried out the LORD’s instructions
Saul's claim of obedience is central to this narrative. The Hebrew word for "instructions" (דָּבָר, dabar) can also mean "word" or "command." Saul asserts that he has fulfilled God's command, yet the subsequent verses reveal his disobedience. This highlights a critical biblical theme: true obedience to God is not partial or selective. Historically, this moment underscores the importance of complete adherence to God's will, a lesson that resonates throughout Scripture.

(13) Blessed be thou of the Lord.--Saul must have been fully conscious that he had failed to carry out the will and command of the Eternal King of Israel. In the late war, undertaken for the definite and solemn purpose of exterminating a wicked and bloodthirsty people, whose continued existence worked terrible evil upon the adjacent countries, he, disregarding the express instructions of the prophet of the Lord for his own covetous purposes, had not destroyed all, but reserved some of the living spoil for himself. Conscious of all this, he still dared to come forward, and to congratulate the prophet upon the fulfilment of the Lord's command. But Saul's words of self-gratulation were evidently feigned; in his heart he knew he had been faithless.

Verse 13. - Blessed be thou of Jehovah. Saul meets Samuel with all external respect, and seems even to expect his approval, saying, I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. And so he had in the half way in which men generally keep God's commandments, doing that part which is agreeable to themselves, and leaving that part undone which gives them neither pleasure nor profit. Saul probably had thought very little about the exact terms of the command given him, and having successfully accomplished the main point of carrying out a vast foray against the Amalekites, regarded the captive king and the plundered cattle as proofs of his victory. The trophy at Carmel is a token of his own self satisfaction.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

reached
וַיָּבֹ֥א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

him,
שָׁא֑וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

Saul
שָׁא֗וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

said
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
ל֣וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

“May the LORD
לַֽיהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

bless
בָּר֤וּךְ (bā·rūḵ)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

you.
אַתָּה֙ (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

I have carried out
הֲקִימֹ֖תִי (hă·qî·mō·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

the LORD’s
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

instructions.”
דְּבַ֥ר (də·ḇar)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause


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OT History: 1 Samuel 15:13 Samuel came to Saul (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 15:12
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