1 Samuel

1 Samuel 15:21–25

21The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

22But Samuel declared:

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obedience to His voice?

Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice,

and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

23For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

He has rejected you as king.”

24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”

Read all of 1 Samuel 15

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 15:21

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The troopsהָעָ֧םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
tookוַיִּקַּ֨חway·yiq·qaḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH3947 take
sheepצֹ֥אןṣōnNoun - common singularH6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
and cattleוּבָקָ֖רū·ḇā·qārConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH1241 cattle, herd, ox
from the plunderמֵהַשָּׁלָ֛לmê·haš·šā·lālPreposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine singularH7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
the best ofרֵאשִׁ֣יתrê·šîṯNoun - feminine singular constructH7225 beginning, chief
the things devoted to destructionהַחֵ֑רֶםha·ḥê·remArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2764 devoted thing
in order to sacrificeלִזְבֹּ֛חַliz·bō·aḥPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH2076 slaughter for sacrifice
to the LORDלַֽיהוָ֥הYah·wehPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
your Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ’ĕ·lō·he·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH430 God
at Gilgalבַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃bag·gil·gālPreposition-b, Article; Noun - proper - feminine singularH1537 Gilgal

1 Samuel 15:22

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But Samuelשְׁמוּאֵ֗לšə·mū·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH8050 Samuel
declaredוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Does the LORDלַֽיהוָה֙Yah·wehPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
delightהַחֵ֤פֶץha·ḥê·p̄eṣArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2656 delight, pleasure
in burnt offeringsבְּעֹל֣וֹתbə·‘ō·lō·wṯPreposition-b; Noun - feminine pluralH5930 whole burnt-offering
and sacrificesוּזְבָחִ֔יםū·zə·ḇā·ḥîmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine pluralH2077 sacrifice
as much as in obedienceכִּשְׁמֹ֖עַkiš·mō·a‘Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH8085 hear
toבְּק֣וֹלbə·qō·wlPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH6963 sound, voice
Beholdהִנֵּ֤הhin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
obedienceשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙šə·mō·a‘Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH8085 hear
is betterט֔וֹבṭō·wḇAdjective - masculine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
than sacrificeמִזֶּ֣בַחmiz·ze·ḇaḥPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singularH2077 sacrifice
attentivenessלְהַקְשִׁ֖יבlə·haq·šîḇPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructH7181 incline, attend
is better than the fatמֵחֵ֥לֶבmê·ḥê·leḇPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH2459 fat
of ramsאֵילִֽים׃’ê·lîmNoun - masculine pluralH352 ram

1 Samuel 15:23

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Forכִּ֤יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
rebellionמֶ֔רִיme·rîNoun - masculine singularH4805 rebellion
is like the sinחַטַּאת־ḥaṭ·ṭaṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH2403 offence, penalty, occasion
of divinationקֶ֙סֶם֙qe·semNoun - masculine singularH7081 divination
and arroganceהַפְצַ֑רhap̄·ṣarVerb - Hifil - Infinitive absoluteH6484 push, press
is like the wickednessוְאָ֥וֶןwə·’ā·wenConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH205 trouble, sorrow, wickedness
of idolatryוּתְרָפִ֖יםū·ṯə·rā·p̄îmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine pluralH8655 Teraphim
Becauseיַ֗עַןya·‘anAdverbH3282 purpose, intention
you have rejectedמָאַ֙סְתָּ֙mā·’as·tāVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH3988 reject
the wordדְּבַ֣רdə·ḇarNoun - masculine singular constructH1697 speech, word
of the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
He has rejected youוַיִּמְאָסְךָ֖way·yim·’ā·sə·ḵāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singularH3988 reject
as kingמִמֶּֽלֶךְ׃סmim·me·leḵPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king

1 Samuel 15:24

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then Saulשָׁא֤וּלšā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Samuelשְׁמוּאֵל֙šə·mū·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH8050 Samuel
I have sinnedחָטָ֔אתִיḥā·ṭā·ṯîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH2398 miss
I have transgressedעָבַ֥רְתִּי‘ā·ḇar·tîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
the LORD’sיְהוָ֖הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
commandmentפִּֽי־pî-Noun - masculine singular constructH6310 mouth
and your instructionsדְּבָרֶ֑יךָdə·ḇā·re·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH1697 speech, word
becauseכִּ֤יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
I fearedיָרֵ֙אתִי֙yā·rê·ṯîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH3372 fear
the peopleהָעָ֔םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
and obeyedוָאֶשְׁמַ֖עwā·’eš·ma‘Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularH8085 hear
their voiceבְּקוֹלָֽם׃bə·qō·w·lāmPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH6963 sound, voice

1 Samuel 15:25

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Now thereforeוְעַתָּ֕הwə·‘at·tāhConjunctive waw; AdverbH6258 now
pleaseנָ֖אnāInterjectionH4994 I (we) pray, now
forgiveשָׂ֥אśāVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH5375 lift, take, carry
my sinחַטָּאתִ֑יḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯîNoun - feminine singular construct; first person common singularH2403 offence, penalty, occasion
and returnוְשׁ֣וּבwə·šūḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH7725 turn back, return
with meעִמִּ֔י‘im·mîPreposition; first person common singularH5973 with
so I can worshipוְאֶֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖הwə·’eš·ta·ḥă·wehConjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singularH7812 bow down
the LORDלַֽיהוָֽה׃Yah·wehPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 15:21 1 Samuel 15:15 · Exodus 32:22–23

1 Samuel 15:22 Hosea 6:6 · Psalm 51:16–17 · Proverbs 21:3 · Amos 5:21–24 · Mark 12:33 · Matthew 9:13 · Micah 6:6–8 · Jeremiah 7:22–23 · Psalm 40:6–8 · Ecclesiastes 5:1 · Isaiah 1:11–17 · Matthew 12:7

1 Samuel 15:23 Jeremiah 28:16 · 1 Samuel 13:14 · Leviticus 20:6 · Galatians 5:20 · Jeremiah 29:32 · Deuteronomy 18:10–11 · 2 Corinthians 6:16 · Ezekiel 2:5–8 · Genesis 31:34 · Exodus 22:18 · Joshua 22:16–19 · Genesis 31:19

1 Samuel 15:24 2 Samuel 12:13 · Isaiah 51:12–13 · Galatians 1:10 · Proverbs 29:25 · Numbers 22:34 · Exodus 9:27 · Exodus 23:2 · Revelation 21:8 · 1 Samuel 15:30 · Matthew 27:4

1 Samuel 15:25 Exodus 10:17

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.