1 Samuel 15:13
in 1 Samuel 15When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah.
KJV
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Gilgal being within 15 miles of Ramah, Samuel might easily have come from Ramah that morning. Self-will and rashness had hitherto been Saul’s chief faults. He now seems to add falsehood and hypocrisy.
This site's exposition
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul
on 1 Samuel 15:12-13
Samuel learns that Saul has gone to Carmel and "set up a monument for himself" before coming down to Gilgal. Saul greets him with two claims, a blessing and "I have carried out the LORD’s instructions," and the next verse lets neither stand. Gill treats the monument as the tell, since a man does not raise a memorial for a campaign he believes unfinished.
This site's exposition
May the LORD bless you
Saul meets Samuel with a blessing and says he has carried out the LORD's instructions. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown weigh two readings of the words, self-deceit or bold hypocrisy, and Albert Barnes takes the second. He says Saul now adds falsehood to his self-will.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And Saul said to him: Blessed are you to the Lord, etc. Understand the voice of flocks and herds, the uncontrolled movements of the mind, and the tumultuous thoughts of arrogant hearts; for whoever neglects to subdue and repress these within himself, vainly boasts that …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 6, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
13. The word of the Lord was that he should have destroyed Amalek. But what does it mean that he says, "I have fulfilled the word of the Lord," unless that the sin of fornication, the more shameful it is perceived to be, the more carefully it is concealed by the reprobate? Because therefore those who are subject to this same vice of fornication always desire to remain hidden, in their type Saul both disdained to demolish Amalek and said to Samuel: "I have fulfilled the word of the Lord."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
They - That is, the people. Thus, he lays the blame upon the people; whereas they could not do it without his consent; and he should have used his power to over-rule them.
And Samuel came to Saul,....
Thus sinners think, by justifying themselves, to escape being judged of the Lord; whereas the only way to do that is by judging ourselves. Those that boast most of their religion may be suspected of partiality and hypocrisy in it.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord--Saul was either blinded by a partial and delusive self-love, or he was, in his declaration to Samuel, acting the part of a bold and artful hypocrite. He professed to have fulfilled the divine command, and that the blame of any defects in the execution lay with the people.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And is setting up a place for himself. He is building an altar for himself. That is the altar referred to concerning Eliyohu, 'he repaired the ruined altar of Adonoy.' 17 Melachim I:30. Targum Yonoson renders, 'and he is making room there for himself to divide the spoils.'
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֥א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל | shemuel | Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׁא֑וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| שָׁא֗וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| בָּר֤וּךְ | barukh | [be] blessed | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | by Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הֲקִימֹ֖תִי | hakimoti | I have carried out | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבַ֥ר | devar | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיָּבֹ֥אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
שְׁמוּאֵ֖לSamuel
shemuelH8050 →141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׁא֑וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
שָׁא֗וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
בָּר֤וּךְ[be] blessed
barukhH1288 →330 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
לַֽיהוָ֔הby Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
הֲקִימֹ֖תִיI have carried out
hakimotiH6965 →628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבַ֥ר[the] word of
devarH1697 →1440 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 17:10So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 9:16–17
Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
- Job 22:2–3
“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
- 1 Peter 5:5–6
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:9–10
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Job 35:6–7
If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? If you multiply your transgressions, what do you do to Him?
- 1 Corinthians 9:16–17
Through
Proverbs 31:31Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
it leads to
- Psalms 128:2
For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Romans 16:1–4
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
- Psalms 128:2
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonJudges to monarchySamuelAsked of God by Hannah and lent to the LORD at Shiloh; the last judge and first of the prophets after Moses, who anointed both Sau…
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 6, Chapter 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).