1 Samuel 15:20 "But I did obey the LORD," Saul replied. "I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

Bible > 1 Samuel > Chapter 15 > Verse 20

◄ 1 Samuel 15:20 ►

New International Version
“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.

New Living Translation
“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.

English Standard Version
And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

Berean Standard Bible
“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

King James Bible
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

New King James Version
And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the LORD, for I went on the mission on which the LORD sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.

NASB 1995
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

NASB 1977
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of Yahweh and went on the way on which Yahweh sent me and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek and have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

Amplified Bible
Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.

Christian Standard Bible
“But I did obey the LORD! ” Saul answered. “I went on the mission the LORD gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“But I did obey the LORD!” Saul answered. “I went on the mission the LORD gave me: I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.

American Standard Version
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Contemporary English Version
"But I did listen to the LORD!" Saul answered. "He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured King Agag and destroyed his nation.

English Revised Version
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"But I did obey the LORD," Saul told Samuel. "I went where the LORD sent me, brought [back] King Agag of Amalek, and claimed the Amalekites for God.

Good News Translation
"I did obey the LORD," Saul replied. "I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.

International Standard Version
Saul told Samuel, "I did obey the LORD. I went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, I brought Agag king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.

Majority Standard Bible
“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

NET Bible
Then Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the LORD! I went on the campaign the LORD sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites.

New Heart English Bible
Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul said to Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

World English Bible
Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed Yahweh’s voice, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Saul says to Samuel, “Because—I have listened to the voice of YHWH, and I go in the way which YHWH has sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and I have devoted Amalek;

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul saith unto Samuel, 'Because -- I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and I go in the way which Jehovah hath sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I have devoted;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Saul will say to Samuel, That I heard to the voice of Jehovah, and I will go in the way which Jehovah sent me, and I will bring Agag king of Amalek, and I utterly destroyed Amalek.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said to Samuel: Yea I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord, and have walked in the way by which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalec, and Amalec I have slain.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Saul said to Samuel: “On the contrary, I did listen to the voice of the Lord, and I walked in the way along which the Lord sent me, and I led back Agag, the king of Amalek, and I put to death Amalek.

New American Bible
Saul explained to Samuel: “I did indeed obey the LORD and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought back Agag, the king of Amalek, and, carrying out the ban, I have destroyed the Amalekites.

New Revised Standard Version
Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Saul said to Samuel, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of the Amalekites, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shaul said to Shemueil: “I have listened to the voice of LORD JEHOVAH, and I went in the way that he sent me, and I brought Agag, King of Amaleq, and the Amalekites I have destroyed

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul said unto Samuel: 'Yea, I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul said to Samuel, Because I listened to the voice of the people: yet I went the way by which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalec, and I destroyed Amalec.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Samuel Denounces Saul
…19So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” 20“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21The 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.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

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 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.

1 Samuel 9:16
“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

1 Samuel 10:8
And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

1 Samuel 12:14-15
If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. / But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

1 Samuel 14:32-35
So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it. / Then someone reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” “You have broken faith,” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” / Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there. ...

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 28:17
He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.

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.

Isaiah 1:11-17
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...

Amos 5:21-24
“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.’”

Treasury of Scripture

And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Yea

1 Samuel 15:13
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

Job 33:9
I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

Job 34:5
For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

have brought

1 Samuel 15:3,8
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass…

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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

Berean Study Bible

But I did obey the LORD
This phrase reveals Saul's self-justification and misunderstanding of true obedience. The Hebrew word for "obey" is "shama," which means to hear or listen with the intent to act. Saul's claim of obedience is superficial, as true obedience involves complete submission to God's commands, not partial fulfillment. This highlights the human tendency to rationalize disobedience and the importance of aligning our actions with God's will.

Saul replied
Saul's response is defensive, indicating his awareness of wrongdoing. The historical context shows Saul as the first king of Israel, chosen to lead God's people. His reply reflects a common human reaction to deflect responsibility. This moment is pivotal in Saul's reign, illustrating the consequences of failing to fully adhere to divine instructions.

I went on the mission that the LORD gave me
The phrase underscores Saul's partial acknowledgment of his divine commission. The Hebrew word for "mission" is "derek," meaning a path or way. Saul's journey was divinely appointed, yet his execution was flawed. This serves as a reminder that being on a God-given mission requires complete faithfulness to His directives, not just embarking on the journey.

I brought back Agag king of Amalek
Saul's action of sparing Agag, the Amalekite king, directly contradicts God's command to destroy all Amalekites. The name "Agag" is significant, representing the Amalekite dynasty, historically enemies of Israel. Saul's failure to execute God's judgment on Agag symbolizes incomplete obedience and the danger of compromising God's commands for personal or political reasons.

and utterly destroyed the Amalekites
The phrase "utterly destroyed" translates from the Hebrew "charam," meaning to devote to destruction. Saul's claim is misleading, as he did not fully carry out God's command. This highlights the importance of total obedience to God, as partial obedience is disobedience. The Amalekites' destruction was a divine decree due to their persistent opposition to Israel, emphasizing God's justice and sovereignty.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(20) Yea, I have obeyed . . .--These and the words which follow are simply a repetition of the king's former excuse for his act: but they show us what was the state of Saul's mind: he evidently disbelieved in the power of the Eternal as a heart reader. If he could justify himself before Samuel, that was all he cared for. He asserted his own integrity of purpose and his great zeal for the public sacrifice to God, knowing all the while that low earthly reasons had been the springs of his conduct. He reiterated the plea that what he had done was in accordance with the voice of the people, conscious all the while that the plea was false.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 20, 21. - Saul's justifcation of himself is remarkable, as he seems entirely unconscious of having done anything wrong. His education had no doubt been defective (1 Samuel 10:12), and his knowledge of the law was probably very small; but he must have listened to Samuel's injunctions in a very off hand way, and have troubled himself about very little more than that he was to make war upon the Amalekites. There may even have been the wish in his mind to let Samuel know that he was now king, and would carry on affairs after his own fashion. The very form of his answer requires notice; for the word rendered yea is literally in that, or because, and may be paraphrased as follows: Do you reproach me thus because I have obeyed you? See, there is Agag in proof of our victory; and if the people have spared the cattle, it was with the best of intentions. The next clause, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, reads in the A.V. like an ironical parenthesis. It is not so, but an important part of Saul's defence. These sheep and oxen were "the best of the devoted things," selected as the first fruits for sacrifice. Saul may not have known that such a sacrifice was forbidden (Deuteronomy 13:15-17). The words, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God, imply that Samuel ought to be pleased at the victorious army doing this public homage to the Deity whose prophet he was. It was virtually a compliment to himself, and is very much in accordance with the notions of the generality of people now, who consider that attendance at a place of worship, or sending their children to school, is a favour to the clergyman.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

“But I did obey
שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ (šā·ma‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the LORD,”
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

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

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

“I went
וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ (wā·’ê·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

on the mission
בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ (bad·de·reḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

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

gave me.
שְׁלָחַ֣נִי (šə·lā·ḥa·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

I brought back
וָאָבִ֗יא (wā·’ā·ḇî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Agag
אֲגַג֙ (’ă·ḡaḡ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 90: Agag -- king of Amalek

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Amalek
עֲמָלֵ֔ק (‘ă·mā·lêq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6002: Amalek -- a descendant of Esau, also his posterity

and utterly destroyed
הֶחֱרַֽמְתִּי׃ (he·ḥĕ·ram·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2763: To seclude, to devote to religious uses, to be blunt as to the nose

the Amalekites.
עֲמָלֵ֖ק (‘ă·mā·lêq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6002: Amalek -- a descendant of Esau, also his posterity

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OT History: 1 Samuel 15:20 Saul said to Samuel Yes I have (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)