Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clearImportance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV)“I did listen to Yahweh’s instructions,” Sha’ulinsisted. “and I did what he asked. So now I’ve brought Amalekite King Agag here and I’ve completely destroyed the Amalekites.
Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
BrLXXΚαὶ εἶπε Σαοὺλ πρὸς Σαμουὴλ, διὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαί με τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἐπορεύθην τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἀπέστειλέ με Κύριος, καὶ ἤγαγον τὸν ʼΑγὰγ βασιλέα ʼΑμαλὴκ, καὶ τὸν ʼΑμαλὴκ ἐξωλόθρευσα. (Kai eipe Saʼoul pros Samouaʸl, dia to akousai me taʸs fōnaʸs tou laou, kai eporeuthaʸn taʸ hodōi haʸ apesteile me Kurios, kai aʸgagon ton ʼAgag basilea ʼAmalaʸk, kai ton ʼAmalaʸk exōlothreusa. )
BrTrAnd Saul said to Samuel, Because I listened to the voice of the people: yet I went the way by which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalec, and I destroyed Amalec.
ULTAnd Saul said to Samuel, “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me. And I have brought Agag the king of Amalek and have completely destroyed Amalek.
USTSaul replied to Samuel, “I did what Yahweh sent me to do! I brought back King Agag, but we killed everyone else!
BSB § “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
OEBAnd Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone on the expedition which the Lord sent me on and have brought back Agag the king of the Amalekites and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.
WEBBESaul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the LORD’s voice, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
NETThen Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the Lord! I went on the campaign the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites.
LSVAnd Saul says to Samuel, “Because—I have listened to the voice of YHWH, and I go in the way which YHWH has sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and I have devoted Amalek;
FBV“But I did do what the Lord ordered!” Saul replied. “I went and did what the Lord sent me to do. I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and completely destroyed the Amalekites.
T4TSaul replied to Samuel, “Hey, I did what Yahweh sent me to do! I brought back King Agag, but we killed everyone else!
LEBThen Saul said to Samuel, “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me! I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites I have utterly destroyed.
BBEAnd Saul said, Truly, I have done the orders of the Lord and have gone the way the Lord sent me; I have taken Agag, the king of Amalek, and have given the Amalekites up to destruction.
JPSAnd Saul said unto Samuel: 'Yea, I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
ASVAnd Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
DRAAnd Saul said to Samuel: Yea I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord, and have walked in the way by which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalec, and Amalec I have slain.
YLTAnd Saul saith unto Samuel, 'Because — I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and I go in the way which Jehovah hath sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I have devoted;
DrbyAnd Saul said to Samuel, I have indeed hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
RVAnd Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
WbstrAnd Saul said to Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
KJB-1769And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
KJB-1611And Saul said vnto Samuel; Yea, I haue obeyed the voice of the LORD, and haue gone the way which the LORD sent me, and haue brought Agag the king of Amalek, and haue vtterly destroyed the Amalekites. (Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)
BshpsAnd Saul sayde vnto Samuel: Yea, I haue hearkened vnto the voyce of the Lorde, and haue gone the way which the Lord sent me vnto, & haue brought Agag the kyng of Amalek, and haue destroyed the Amalekites. (And Saul said unto Samuel: Yea, I have hearkened unto the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me unto, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have destroyed the Amalekites.)
GnvaAnd Saul saide vnto Samuel, Yea, I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lord, and haue gone the way which the Lord sent me, and haue brought Agag the King of Amalek, and haue destroyed the Amalekites. (And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the King of Amalek, and have destroyed the Amalekites. )
CvdlSaul answered Samuel: Yee I haue herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, & haue gone the waye that ye LORDE sent me, and broughte Agag the kynge of the Amalechites, & damned the Amalechites: (Saul answered Samuel: Ye/You_all I have herkened unto the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way that ye/you_all LORD sent me, and brought Agag the king of the Amalechites, and damned the Amalechites:)
WyclAnd Saul seide to Samuel, Yhis, Y herde the `vois of the Lord, and Y yede in the weie, bi which the Lord sente me, and Y haue brouyt Agag, the kyng of Amalech, and Y killide Amalech. (And Saul said to Samuel, Yhis, I heard the `vois of the Lord, and I went in the way, by which the Lord sent me, and I have brought Agag, the king of Amalech, and I killed Amalech.)
LuthSaul antwortete Samuel: Habe ich doch der Stimme des HErr’s gehorchet und bin hingezogen des Weges, den mich der HErr sandte; und habe Agag, der Amalekiter König, gebracht und die Amalekiter verbannet. (Saul replied Samuel: goods I though/but the/of_the voice the LORD’s gehorchet and am hingezogen the Weges, the me the/of_the LORD sandte; and have Agag, the/of_the Amalekiter king, brought and the Amalekiter banisht.)
ClVgEt ait Saul ad Samuelem: Immo audivi vocem Domini, et ambulavi in via per quam misit me Dominus, et adduxi Agag regem Amalec, et Amalec interfeci. (And he_said Saul to Samuelem: Immo audivi vocem Master, and ambulavi in road through how he_sent me Master, and adduxi Agag regem Amalec, and Amalec interfeci. )
God instructed Saul to “completely destroy” the Amalekites, who had ambushed the Israelites after the Exodus (see Exod 17:8-16; Deut 25:17-19). The Hebrew word kharam (“completely destroy”) often means dedicating something or someone completely to the Lord, either by destroying it (1 Sam 15:3; Josh 6:17-18) or by giving it as an offering (see Lev 27:28-29; Josh 6:19).
Complete destruction was called for in cases where those to be destroyed had committed a severe offense against God, such as worshiping false gods (Deut 7:1-6; 13:12-18). In 1 Samuel 15:3, complete destruction is prescribed as God’s judgment on a nation that mistreated his chosen people. Those who curse God’s family are, in turn, cursed (Gen 12:3).
God still judges the godless and impenitent. But in the new covenant, Christians are not called to be agents of such judgment. God calls us to exercise his mercy toward those who wrong us (see Luke 9:51-56). We must completely destroy whatever within ourselves wars against Christ (Rom 8:12-13; Col 3:5). And we must overcome the enemies of Christ by our faith, by the Good News, and by our love (Eph 6:10-20; 1 Jn 2:9-17). God will mete out judgment according to his justice and in his time (Rom 12:19; 2 Thes 1:6-10).
(Occurrence 0) I have indeed obeyed the voice of Yahweh
(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Shāʼūl to/towards Shəmūʼēl which/who I_heard in/on/at/with,voice YHWH and,went in/on/at/with,mission which/who sent,me YHWH and,brought_back DOM Agag king ˊAmālēq and=DOM ˊAmālēqites utterly_destroyed )
This is an emphatic statement. It is unclear if Saul thought this was true, or if he was simply making excuses for his sin.
(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Shāʼūl to/towards Shəmūʼēl which/who I_heard in/on/at/with,voice YHWH and,went in/on/at/with,mission which/who sent,me YHWH and,brought_back DOM Agag king ˊAmālēq and=DOM ˊAmālēqites utterly_destroyed )
Here “voice” refers to the commands that Yahweh spoke. Alternate translation: “the things that Yahweh commanded”
(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Shāʼūl to/towards Shəmūʼēl which/who I_heard in/on/at/with,voice YHWH and,went in/on/at/with,mission which/who sent,me YHWH and,brought_back DOM Agag king ˊAmālēq and=DOM ˊAmālēqites utterly_destroyed )
Saul’s war against the Amalekites exemplifies many of the key traits–good and bad–of Saul’s leadership over Israel. Immediately before the story is recounted, the author notes that during Saul’s entire reign he fought valiantly against Israel’s enemies on every side (1 Samuel 14:47-52), and he amassed an army of skilled soldiers. Thus, Saul fulfilled one of the primary reasons the people demanded that Samuel appoint a king over them (1 Samuel 8). Then the author notes that the Lord, through Samuel, directed Saul to attack the Amalekites and utterly destroy them and their belongings as punishment for their cruel attack on the Israelites after they left Egypt to travel to Mount Sinai (Exodus 17; Deuteronomy 25:17-19). So Saul mustered a large number of troops at a place called Telaim and traveled to an otherwise unknown “city of the Amalekites” and lay in lay in wait for them in a valley. Saul also warned the Kenites, the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law Hobab (also called Jethro), to move away from the Amalekites so they would not be killed in the coming battle. It appears that the Kenites had remained on good terms with the Israelites since the time of Hobab/Jethro and accompanied them as they entered the Promised Land, eventually settling among the Amalekites in the Negev near Arad (Judges 1:16). Saul defeated the Amalekites, pursuing them “from Havilah as far as Shur,” according the the Hebrew text. The region of Havilah, however, was several hundred miles from the Negev, making it unlikely to be the place to which Saul pursued them, and this is underscored by the Septuagint’s substitution of “Elath” for “Havilah”. It is possible that the author was using this phrase as a hyperbolic merism to indicate that Saul pursued the Amalekites throughout the entire land in which they lived (see also Genesis 25:18 regarding the Ishmaelites). But since elsewhere in Scripture the Amalekites are said to live in the Negev and in southern Canaan (Genesis 14:7; Numbers 13:29; 14:45; Judges 1:16), another possibility is that the “Havilah” reading is a textual corruption. The Septuagint translators may have preserved the original reading of “Elath,” or they may have been making their best guess as to the intended location. Simply based on the similarity of spelling and the geography of the region (as shown on this map), it is possible that the original reading was “Hachilah,” a hill where David would later have some close encounters with Saul during his time in the wilderness (1 Samuel 23:19; 26:1). In any case, Saul and his men thoroughly defeated the Amalekites, but they failed to completely destroy them (see 1 Samuel 30) and their belongings. Instead they took King Agag alive and kept the best of the spoils. After this Saul traveled to Carmel and set up a monument for himself, and then he continued on to Gilgal. When Samuel arrived in Gilgal, however, he was angry with Saul for failing to devote all of the Amalekites and their goods to destruction, and he told Saul that the Lord regretted having made him king. Samuel then killed King Agag himself at Gilgal and returned to his home in Ramah. Saul returned to his home in Gibeah, but Samuel never spoke with Saul again.
