1 Samuel

1 Samuel 15:3–7

³Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction^a all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

⁴So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them at Telaim — 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. ⁵Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. ⁶And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.”

So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.

Footnotes

a 15:3 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20, and 21.

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 15:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now	עַתָּה֩	‘at·tāh	Adverb	H6258 now
go	לֵ֨ךְ	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
and attack	וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה	wə·hik·kî·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H5221 smite
the Amalekites	עֲמָלֵ֗ק	‘ă·mā·lêq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6002 Amalek
and devote to destruction	וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙	wə·ha·ḥă·ram·tem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural	H2763 ban, devote, exterminate
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
that	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
belongs to them	ל֔וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
Do not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
spare	תַחְמֹ֖ל	ṯaḥ·mōl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2550 spare
them	עָלָ֑יו	‘ā·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5921 height
but put to death	וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה	wə·hê·mat·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H4191 die
men	מֵאִ֣ישׁ	mê·’îš	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
and	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
women	אִשָּׁ֗ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
children	מֵֽעֹלֵל֙	mê·‘ō·lêl	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H5768 child
and	וְעַד־	wə·‘aḏ-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
infants	יוֹנֵ֔ק	yō·w·nêq	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3243 suck
oxen	מִשּׁ֣וֹר	miš·šō·wr	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H7794 head of cattle
and	וְעַד־	wə·‘aḏ-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
sheep	שֶׂ֔ה	śeh	Noun - masculine singular	H7716 one of a flock, a sheep (or goat)
camels	מִגָּמָ֖ל	mig·gā·māl	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H1581 camel
and	וְעַד־	wə·‘aḏ-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
donkeys	חֲמֽוֹר׃ס	ḥă·mō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H2543 heap

1 Samuel 15:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Saul	שָׁאוּל֙	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
summoned	וַיְשַׁמַּ֤ע	way·šam·ma‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H8085 hear
the troops	הָעָ֔ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
and numbered them	וַֽיִּפְקְדֵם֙	way·yip̄·qə·ḏêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H6485 attend to, visit, muster, appoint
at Telaim	בַּטְּלָאִ֔ים	baṭ·ṭə·lā·’îm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H2923 Telaim
200,000	מָאתַ֥יִם	mā·ṯa·yim	Number - fd	H3967 hundred
foot soldiers	רַגְלִ֑י	raḡ·lî	Adjective - masculine singular	H7273 on foot
and 10,000	וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת	wa·‘ă·śe·reṯ	Conjunctive waw; Number - masculine singular construct	H6235 ten
men	אִ֥ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
of Judah	יְהוּדָֽה׃	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah

1 Samuel 15:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Saul	שָׁא֖וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
came	וַיָּבֹ֥א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
the city	עִ֣יר	‘îr	Noun - feminine singular construct	H5892 excitement
of Amalek	עֲמָלֵ֑ק	‘ă·mā·lêq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6002 Amalek
and lay in wait	וַיָּ֖רֶב	way·yā·reḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H693 lie in wait
in the valley	בַּנָּֽחַל׃	ban·nā·ḥal	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady

1 Samuel 15:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And he	שָׁא֣וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
warned	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
the Kenites	הַקֵּינִ֡י	haq·qê·nî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7017 Kenite
Since you	וְאַתָּ֞ה	wə·’at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
showed	עָשִׂ֤יתָה	‘ā·śî·ṯāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
kindness	חֶ֙סֶד֙	ḥe·seḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H2617 goodness, kindness
to	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
when they came up	בַּעֲלוֹתָ֖ם	ba·‘ă·lō·w·ṯām	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
out of Egypt	מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם	mim·miṣ·rā·yim	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
go on	לְכוּ֩	lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
and get away	רְד֜וּ	rə·ḏū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H3381 come or go down, descend
from	מִתּ֣וֹךְ	mit·tō·wḵ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8432 midst
the Amalekites	עֲמָלֵקִ֗י	‘ă·mā·lê·qî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6003 Amalekite
Otherwise	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
I will sweep you away	אֹֽסִפְךָ֙	’ō·sip̄·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H622 gather, remove
with them	עִמּ֔וֹ	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with
So the Kenites	קֵינִ֖י	qê·nî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7017 Kenite
moved away	וַיָּ֥סַר	way·yā·sar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5493 turn aside
from	מִתּ֥וֹךְ	mit·tō·wḵ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8432 midst
the Amalekites	עֲמָלֵֽק׃	‘ă·mā·lêq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6002 Amalek

1 Samuel 15:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Saul	שָׁא֖וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
struck down	וַיַּ֥ךְ	way·yaḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
the Amalekites	עֲמָלֵ֑ק	‘ă·mā·lêq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6002 Amalek
all the way	בּוֹאֲךָ֣	bō·w·’ă·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
from Havilah	מֵֽחֲוִילָה֙	mê·ḥă·wî·lāh	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H2341 Chavilah
to Shur	שׁ֔וּר	šūr	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7793 Shur
which is	אֲשֶׁ֖ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
east	פְּנֵ֥י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of Egypt	מִצְרָֽיִם׃	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians