1 Samuel 15:11

Obedience Grief Faithfulness and loyalty Repentance

⁹ Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.

¹⁰ Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,

“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.

¹² Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”

¹³ When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.
KJV: It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
WEB: “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to the LORD all night.
ASV: It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And Samuel was wroth; and he cried unto Jehovah all night.
DARBY: It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned away from following me, and hath not fulfilled my words. And Samuel was much grieved; and he cried to Jehovah all night.
BLB: “I regret that Saul I have made reign [as] king, for he has turned back from following Me, and My commandments he has not performed.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to YHWH all the night.

ÅB: Jeg angrer at jeg har gjort Saul til konge; for han har vendt seg bort fra meg og ikke holdt seg etter mine ord. Da ble Samuels vrede tent opp, og han ropte til Herren hele natten.
OTB: «Jeg angrer at jeg har gjort Saul til konge, for han har vendt seg bort fra å følge meg og har ikke utført mine befalinger.» Og Samuel ble bedrøvet og ropte til Herren hele natten.
B1930: Jeg angrer at jeg har gjort Saul til konge; for han har vendt sig bort fra mig og ikke holdt sig efter mine ord. Da optendtes Samuels vrede, og han ropte til Herren hele natten.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Samuel 13:13
“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
Read in context
Genesis 6:6
And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Read in context
Psalms 119:136
My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
Read in context
2 Samuel 24:16
But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
Read in context
Jeremiah 9:18
Let them come quickly and take up a lament over us, that our eyes may overflow with tears, and our eyelids may gush with water.
Read in context
1 Samuel 15:9
Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.
Read in context
1 Samuel 15:35–16:1
And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
Read in context
1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction 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.’”
Read in context