1 SamuelChapitre 15

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Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Israel. Now listen to the words of the LORD.

This is what the LORD of hosts says: 'I have taken account of what Amalek did to Israel, how they waylaid them on the road when they came up from Egypt.

Now go and strike Amalek. Devote to destruction everything they have. Do not spare them; put to death man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

So Saul summoned the people and mustered them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.

Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.

And Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, withdraw, get away from among the Amalekites, or I will sweep you away with them. For you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.

Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which lies east of Egypt.

He took Agag king of Amalek alive, but all the people he devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword.

Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fattened animals and the lambs—everything of value. These they were unwilling to destroy; but everything despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel:

"I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not carried out my commands." Samuel was angered, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

Early in the morning Samuel rose to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel, where he set up a monument in his own honor; then he turned and went on down to Gilgal."

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's command."

But Samuel said, "Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"

Saul answered, "They were brought from the Amalekites; the troops spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God. The rest we devoted to destruction."

"Enough!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Speak," Saul replied.

Samuel said, "Though you were small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel,

and he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and devote to destruction those sinners, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.'

Why then did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do what is evil in the LORD's sight?"

"But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek, and I devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.

But Samuel said: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions, because I was afraid of the people and gave in to them.

Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD."

But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!"

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.

Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.

Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.

Saul said, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God."

So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of Amalek." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Then Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 15

Main Theme: Saul’s disobedience to God’s command leads to his rejection as king over Israel.

Content: God commands Saul through Samuel to completely destroy the Amalekites as punishment for their attack on Israel during the wilderness journey. Saul wins the war but spares King Agag and keeps the best of the livestock. Samuel confronts Saul about his disobedience and declares that obedience is better than sacrifice. God rejects Saul as king, and Samuel himself kills Agag before leaving Saul permanently.

Key Words/Images:

Herem (ban): God’s command for total destruction of the Amalekites and everything they owned as a holy judgment.
Obedience rather than sacrifice: Samuel’s message that God values obedience more highly than religious rituals (v.22).
The torn robe: A symbol that God is tearing the kingdom from Saul and giving it to another (vv.27–28).
God’s regret: The Lord’s sorrow over having made Saul king, showing the seriousness of Saul’s betrayal (vv.11, 35).

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Samuel 15

People

Agag was the king of the Amalekites whom Saul spared despite God's command. The name "Agag" may have been a dynastic title for Amalekite kings, similar to "Pharaoh" in Egypt. In Numbers 24:7, "Agag" is mentioned in Balaam's prophecy about Israel's future king, suggesting this was an established royal title. Agag's fate – being "hewn in pieces" (וַיְשַׁסֵּף) by Samuel – reflects the brutal reality of ancient Near Eastern warfare and God's judgment on the Amalekites' cruelty.

The Kenites (verse 6) were a nomadic group with historical ties to Israel through Moses' father-in-law Jethro (Judges 1:16). Their friendly treatment of the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt (verse 6: "you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt") earned them protection in this conflict. This illustrates the ancient Near Eastern principle that historical "hesed" (loyal love/kindness) created lasting obligations between peoples.

Places

Carmel (verse 12) does not refer to the well-known Mount Carmel by the coast, but to a town in the hill country of Judah, south of Hebron (modern Khirbet el-Kirmil). Here Saul erected a "monument" (יָד, literally "hand") for himself – a practice known from several ancient Near Eastern cultures where kings raised stones or monuments to mark their victories.

Gilgal (verses 12, 21, 33) served as an important religious and political center during this period. It was here that Saul was confirmed as king (1 Samuel 11:15), and the site held symbolic significance as Israel's first campsite after crossing the Jordan. That Samuel executed Agag "before the Lord in Gilgal" underscores the religious character of the action.

Havilah and Shur (verse 7) – "from Havilah to Shur" – describes the Amalekite territory as a vast desert region in northern Sinai and the Negev, extending toward the Egyptian border.

Events and Customs

Herem (חֵרֶם) – "ban" or "devotion to destruction" – was a radical form of holy war where all spoils of war were to be destroyed as an offering to God. Nothing was to be kept for personal gain. This concept also appears in other ancient Near Eastern cultures; the Mesha Stele from Moab (c. 840 BC) describes similar practices where King Mesha "devoted" Israelite cities to his god Chemosh. The laws of herem in Deuteronomy were intended to prevent Israel from adopting Canaanite idolatry and to ensure that victory was attributed to God alone, not human greed.

The king's self-glorification through erecting a monument (verse 12) was common practice in the ancient Near East. Assyrian and Egyptian kings raised such monuments to mark victories. That Saul did this before meeting Samuel suggests his focus was on his own honor rather than obedience to God.

Key Terms

נִחַמְתִּי (nichamti, verses 11 and 35) is often translated "I regret", but the Hebrew word primarily concerns sorrow and a change of action, not admitting fault. When the text says God "regretted" making Saul king, it expresses deep sorrow over Saul's disobedience and a change in how God would act going forward. Verse 29 balances this by emphasizing that "the Glory of Israel does not lie or regret", showing the tension between God's relational response and His unchanging character.

קֶסֶם (qesem, "divination") and תְּרָפִים (teraphim, "household gods/idols") in verse 23 were widespread forms of religious practice in surrounding cultures. Terafim were divine images or cult objects used to seek guidance or protection. Samuel's comparison of disobedience with these practices was a powerful condemnation – Saul's rebellion against God's word was as serious as open idolatry.

Personnages6

God1 Amalek1 Samuel18 Agag5 Saul15 Jacob4

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Mots-clés9

Saul — Israel's first king, chosen by God through the prophet Samuel.
Samuel — Prophet and judge in Israel, who served as a mediator between God and the people.
Amalekites — A hostile tribe that attacked the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt.
Lord — Another name for God, emphasizing his sovereignty and authority.
Obey — To follow instructions and commands given by a higher power, in this case God.
Repent — To show regret or sorrow over past actions, especially those that are sinful or contrary to God's will.
Agag — The king of the Amalekites, whom Saul captured instead of killing him, in violation of God's command.
Chosen — Individuals or groups selected by God for a specific purpose, as was the case with Saul and Israel.
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