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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

1 Samuel 15:8

Saul spared Agag, either out of foolish pity for the goodliness of his person, which Josephus notes; or for his respect to his royal majesty, in the preservation of which he thought himself concerned; or for the glory of his triumph: compare 1 Samuel 15:12. All the people, to wit, the body of the people, but not every individual person, as hath been showed. Universal particles are commonly thus understood, as is confessed.

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See also 1 Samuel 15:8 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The saving Agag alive was in direct violation of the devotion to destruction....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    8. WAR WITH AMALEK: SAUL'S DISOBEDIENCE AND REJECTION CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The commission to destroy Amalek (1 Samuel 15:1)_ 2. Saul's disobedience and rejection (1 Samuel 15:10) 3. Saul's confession ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    XV. THE WAR AGAINST AMALEK; SAUL'S DISOBEDIENCE AND DEPOSITION (E). - A section of a secondary narrative; according to the scheme adopted here, the last section of this document was 1 Samuel 3:3 to 1...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    KENITES. Said to be the same as the Rechabites. Go, depart. Note the Figure of speech _Asyndeton_ in 1 Samuel 15:6....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Agag Agag_perhaps means "fiery." As the name is found in Numbers 24:7, it was probably an hereditary title, like Pharaoh among the Egyptians. _utterly destroyed all the people_ All who fell into thei...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _Saul's Incomplete Obedience. 1 Samuel 15:7-9_ 7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah _until_ thou comest to Shur, that _is_ over against Egypt, 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites al...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND HE TOOK AGAG THE KING OF THE AMALEKITES ALIVE, AND UTTERLY DESTROYED ALL THE PEOPLE WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD._ Took Agag ... alive. х_ 'AGAG_ (H90), evidently a reduplicate variety of the Egyp...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SAUL'S VICTORY OVER AMALEK. HIS DISOBEDIENCE AND REJECTION Amalek had attacked Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8) and opposed their entrance into Canaan (Numbers 14:45 : cp. Deuteronomy 25:7; They are m...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    The Amalekites subsequently sack Ziklag (1 Samuel 30); but from this time onwards they cease to be formidable....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 15 GOD REFUSES SAUL AS KING V1 Samuel said to Saul, ‘The *Lord sent me to *anoint you as king over his people, the *Israelites. Now listen to...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יִּתְפֹּ֛שׂ אֶת ־אֲגַ֥ג מֶֽלֶךְ ־עֲמָלֵ֖ק...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXI. _ THE FINAL REJECTION OF SAUL_ 1 Samuel 15:1. HERE we find the second portion of God's indictment against Saul, and the reason for his final rejection from the office to which he had be...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    LEADING THE PEOPLE IN DISOBEDIENCE 1 Samuel 15:1 Several years intervened between the preceding chapter and this. The kingdom had become strong and prosperous. It seemed as though Samuel's sentence o...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Saul was commissioned by Jehovah through Samuel to smite Amalek, and it was in connection with this that the sin occurred which filled his cup to the brim and caused him to be rejected. His campaign...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (7) And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. (8) And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with t...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We have already seen that the desire and deliberate decision of the people for a king was a direct blow at the government of God in Israel; but the time was come to permit the will of the people to ha...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Nevertheless Saul is put to a final proof. Jehovah, by the mouth of Samuel, sends him to smite Amalek, and utterly destroy them and all that belonged to them. They were the cruel and determined enemie...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND HE TOOK AGAG THE KING OF THE AMALEKITES ALIVE,.... This name seems to be a common name of the kings of these people, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptians, see Numbers 24:2. When this king fell into the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. Ver. 8. _And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive._] _Captans laudem cleme...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _To Shur_ That is, from one end of their country to the other; he smote all that he met with: but a great number of them fled away upon the noise of his coming, and secured themselves in other places,...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Samuel sendeth Saul to destroy Amalek. 6 Saul fauoureth the Kenites. 8 Hee spareth Agag and the best of the spoile. 10 Samuel denounceth vnto Saul commending and excusing himselfe, Gods reiection...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE UNAUTHORIZED ACTION OF SAUL...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword, so that the power of their confederation was broken for many years....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    God had a more solemn controversy with the Amalekites than with the Philistines. The mere formal worship typified by the Philistines is empty; but Amalekite "lusts of the flesh" are a deadly enemy tha...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-9 The sentence of condemnation against the Amalekites had gone forth long before, Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:19, but they had been spared till they filled up the measure of their sins. We are sur...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 15:8 took H8610 (H8799) Agag H90 king H4428 Amalekites H6002 alive H2416 destroyed H2763 (H8689) people...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SAUL'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE AMALEKITES AND HIS SACRILEGE WITH REGARD TO THE DEVOTED THINGS (1 SAMUEL 15:4). 1 Samuel 15:4 ‘ And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred mi...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    1 Samuel 15 _(with 1 Timothy 1:19)_ The story of Saul is among the saddest which Scripture anywhere contains. I. Notice first the singular elements of nobleness which are to be traced in his natural...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Saul's incomplete obedience and his rejection as king. CHARACTERS: God, Samuel, Saul, Agag. CONCLUSION: Some judge many things in their lives, but spare one Agag which the Lord has condemn...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Samuel 15:2. _I remember what Amalek did; Numbers 17:8_; and what he has often repeated, in the effusion of innocent blood. He joined Midian, and the children of the east, in a bloody and unprovoked...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 15:1 The Lord finally rejects Saul as king. ⇐ ⇔...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES— 1 Samuel 15:4. “TELAIM.” Most likely the same as _Telem_ (Joshua 15:21; Joshua 15:24), a city lying on the eastern border of Judah, and therefore near the territory of t...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    FINAL REJECTION OF SAUL (1 Samuel 15:1.) EXPOSITION DIVINE COMMAND TO PUNISH THE AMALEKITES, AND ITS EXECUTION BY SAUL ...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now as we get into chapter fifteen, Samuel came to Saul, and said, The Lord sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now hearken unto the voice of the words of the Lord (1 Samue...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 20:30; 1 Kings 20:34; 1 Samuel 15:3; 1 Samuel 27:8; 1 Sa

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE 1 Samuel 15:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS Disobedience is black with the frown of God. Sin is the transgression of the Law. Disobedience is taking one's own way, as against...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    All — Whom he found. Now they paid dear for the sin of their ancestors. They were themselves guilty of idolatry and numberless sins, for which they deserved to be cut off. Yet when God would reckon wi...

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