The Meaning of 1 Samuel 15:15 Explained

1 Samuel 15:15

KJV: And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

YLT: 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.'

Darby: And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites, because the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

ASV: And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Saul  said,  They have brought  them from the Amalekites:  for the people  spared  the best  of the sheep  and of the oxen,  to sacrifice  unto the LORD  thy God;  and the rest  we have utterly destroyed. 

What does 1 Samuel 15:15 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 15:1-16 - Leading The People In Disobedience
Several years intervened between the preceding chapter and this. The kingdom had become strong and prosperous. It seemed as though Samuel's sentence of deposition had been forgotten. But even in hot summer weather, the taint of autumn decay may be in the air. The speck of corruption was slowly eating into Saul's heart, and at last, when this charge came concerning Amalek, the evil was revealed to all. Amalek was under a curse, and the existence of the tribe was a standing menace to the peace and prosperity of the surrounding nations; hence the edict for its destruction, Exodus 17:16. Even in this world God judges the nations, and condemns such as have ceased to fulfill His purpose. In spite of God's distinct command, Saul connived at the reservation of the choicest and best of the spoils, and this brought about his rejection. It is noticeable, also, that an Amalekite claimed to have dispatched Him on the field of Gilboa, 2 Samuel 1:1-10. If we spare what God has commanded us to destroy, it may later destroy us. Take care in your obedience; you serve an exacting though loving God! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 15:15 mean?

and said Saul from the Amalekite they have brought them for spared the people the best of the sheep and the oxen to sacrifice to Yahweh your God and the rest we have utterly destroyed -
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י הֱבִיא֗וּם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָמַ֤ל הָעָם֙ עַל־ מֵיטַ֤ב הַצֹּאן֙ וְהַבָּקָ֔ר לְמַ֥עַן זְבֹ֖חַ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְאֶת־ הַיּוֹתֵ֖ר הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ ס

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שָׁא֜וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י  from  the  Amalekite 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲמָלֵקִי  
Sense: descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau.
הֱבִיא֗וּם  they  have  brought  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
חָמַ֤ל  spared 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
הָעָם֙  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מֵיטַ֤ב  best 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֵיטָב  
Sense: the best.
הַצֹּאן֙  of  the  sheep 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וְהַבָּקָ֔ר  and  the  oxen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
זְבֹ֖חַ  sacrifice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
לַיהוָ֣ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַיּוֹתֵ֖ר  the  rest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ  we  have  utterly  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: חָרַם 
Sense: to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation