The Meaning of 1 Samuel 15:33 Explained

1 Samuel 15:33

KJV: And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

YLT: And Samuel saith, 'As thy sword bereaved women -- so is thy mother bereaved above women;' and Samuel heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.

Darby: And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless above women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.

ASV: And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Samuel  said,  As thy sword  hath made women  childless,  so shall thy mother  be childless  among women.  And Samuel  hewed  Agag  in pieces  before  the LORD  in Gilgal. 

What does 1 Samuel 15:33 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 15:33 mean?

But said Samuel as has made childless women your sword so shall be childless among women Your mother and hacked in pieces Samuel - Agag before Yahweh in Gilgal -
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׁכְּלָ֤ה נָשִׁים֙ חַרְבֶּ֔ךָ כֵּן־ תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל מִנָּשִׁ֖ים אִמֶּ֑ךָ וַיְשַׁסֵּ֨ף שְׁמוּאֵ֧ל אֶת־ אֲגָ֛ג לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בַּגִּלְגָּֽל ס

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  But  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.
שִׁכְּלָ֤ה  has  made  childless 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מְשַׁכֶּלֶת 
Sense: to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry.
נָשִׁים֙  women 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
חַרְבֶּ֔ךָ  your  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
כֵּן־  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל  shall  be  childless 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מְשַׁכֶּלֶת 
Sense: to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry.
מִנָּשִׁ֖ים  among  women 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אִמֶּ֑ךָ  Your  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
וַיְשַׁסֵּ֨ף  and  hacked  in  pieces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁסַף  
Sense: (Piel) to hew in pieces, cut in pieces.
שְׁמוּאֵ֧ל  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.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲגָ֛ג  Agag 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲגַג  
Sense: king of Amalek, spared by Saul but slain by Samuel.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בַּגִּלְגָּֽל  in  Gilgal 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְגָּל 
Sense: the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho, here Samuel was judge, and Saul was made king; later used for illicit worship.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation