1 Samuel 15:23

Rebellion, i.e. disobedience to God's express precept, which was Saul's case. Is as the sin of witchcraft; is, though not so great, yet as inexcusable and impudent a sin as witchcraft; as plainly condemned, and as certainly destructive and damnable. Stubbornness; either wilful and presumptuous sin, whereby a man violently breaks loose from God's command, and resists his authority; or rather, perseverance or contumacy in sin, justifying it, and pleading for it, which was Saul's present crime. Is as iniquity and idolatry, or, the iniquity of idolatry; this being an hendiadis; as judgment and justice, Deuteronomy 16:18, is put for the judgment of justice, or just judgment. Or, idolatry, (for so the Hebrew word aven signifies, as Jeremiah 10:15 Hosea 4:15, Hosea 10:5, compared with 1 Kings 12:29) even the teraphim, which is here mentioned as one of the worst kinds of idolatry. Hath also rejected thee from being king, i.e. hath pronounced the sentence of rejection; for that he was not actually rejected or deposed by God plainly appears, because not only the people, but even David, after this, owned him as king; and Samuel, at Saul's desire, did honour him, i.e. own him as king, before the people, 1 Samuel 15:30.