1 Samuel 15:7-9

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 alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

6.

Where are Havilah and Shur? 1 1 Samuel 5:7

Shur was in Negeb, the land lying south of Beer-sheba. Generally speaking it is territory to the west of the south end of the Dead Sea. Havilah was on the edge of the Negeb. Another region by the same name was encompassed by the Pison branch of Eden's river (Genesis 25:18) and reached into north Arabia (Genesis 2:11).

7.

Who was Agag? 1 Samuel 15:8

Agag is the common name for all the Amalekite kings similar to the name of Pharaoh, the name of the kings of Egypt, or like Caesar, the common name of the rulers in Rome. Balaam makes mention of Agag in his prophecy (Numbers 24:7). His reference implies that the king was a leading monarch at that time or else that he was the first one to attack Irsael when they came out of Egypt. This particular ruler was evidently no better than his predecessors and he was to be slain, but Saul spared him.

8.

What else did Saul spare? 1 Samuel 15:9

Saul spared the best of the sheep, the oxen, and the lambs. As a matter of fact, he did not destroy that which was good. Only that which was vile and refuse was destroyed. Saul was senseless in disobeying God's commandment in this way, but he gave a feeble excuse when he was confronted with his sin.