1 Samuel 15:20

Guilt and conscience Truth and honesty Obedience

¹⁸ And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

¹⁹ Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

²² And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

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

Compare

BSB: “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
KJV: And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
WEB: Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the LORD’s voice, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
ASV: And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
DARBY: And Saul said to Samuel, I have indeed hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
BLB: And Saul said to Samuel, “Because I have listened to the voice of YHWH and gone in the way that YHWH sent me and brought back Agag king of Amalek, and the Amalekite I have devoted to destruction.

ÅB: Da sa Saul til Samuel: Jeg har lydt Herrens ord og har gått den vei Herren sendte meg; jeg har ført Agag, Amaleks konge, hit og slått Amalek med bann.
OTB: Da sa Saul til Samuel: «Jeg har virkelig fulgt Herrens røst, og gikk på det oppdraget som Herren sendte meg på, og har brakt tilbake Agag, amalekittenes konge, og har ødelagt amalekittene fullstendig.
B1930: Da sa Saul til Samuel: Jeg har lydt Herrens ord og har gått den vei Herren sendte mig; jeg har ført Agag, Amaleks konge, hit og slått Amalek med bann.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Samuel 15:13
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
Read in context
Matthew 19:20
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Read in context
Romans 10:3
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Read in context
Job 34:5
For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
Read in context
Job 35:2
Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
Read in context
Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Read in context
1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
Read in context
Job 33:9
I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
Read in context