The Meaning of 1 Samuel 15:17 Explained

1 Samuel 15:17

KJV: And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

YLT: 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,

Darby: And Samuel said, Was it not when thou wast little in thine eyes that thou becamest the head of the tribes of Israel, and Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel?

ASV: And Samuel said, Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Samuel  said,  When thou [wast] little  in thine own sight,  [wast] thou not [made] the head  of the tribes  of Israel,  and the LORD  anointed  thee king  over Israel? 

What does 1 Samuel 15:17 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 15:17-35 - Shallow Repentance Unavailing
Samuel was deeply moved when he heard of Saul's failure, "and he cried unto the Lord all night." Thus he was prepared to accost the sinful king. Mr. Finney tells of a minister who was so burdened with the souls of men that he could do but little preaching, his whole time and strength being given to prayer. It is only in that spirit that men like Samuel can undertake their solemn duty.
Saul's response was very unsatisfactory. He began by laying the blame on the people, 1 Samuel 15:21. He pretended that the object of sparing the cattle, etc., was to sacrifice them to God-a very hypocritical excuse, 1 Samuel 15:22. Without any deep consciousness of sin, he lightly professed sorrow, and hoped to pacify Samuel by asking that they might kneel together in worship, 1 Samuel 15:25. When the old prophet refused to let him off so easily, the only thing that Saul cared for was that the elders should still honor him, 1 Samuel 15:30. How hardened Saul had become! This was the beginning of the sin unto death.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [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 15:17 mean?

So said Samuel [were] not when little you [were] in your own eyes head of the tribes of Israel you [not] and did anoint you Yahweh king over Israel
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל הֲל֗וֹא אִם־ קָטֹ֤ן אַתָּה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ רֹ֛אשׁ שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אָ֑תָּה וַיִּמְשָׁחֲךָ֧ יְהוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־ ؟ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
הֲל֗וֹא  [were]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
קָטֹ֤ן  little 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
אַתָּה֙  you  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ  in  your  own  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
רֹ֛אשׁ  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
שִׁבְטֵ֥י  of  the  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אָ֑תָּה  you  [not] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
וַיִּמְשָׁחֲךָ֧  and  did  anoint  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁח  
Sense: to smear, anoint, spread a liquid.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְמֶ֖לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
؟ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.