1 samuel 15:21 - But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”
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What does "1 samuel 15:21" mean?
This verse is part of a larger narrative in 1 Samuel 15 about King Saul and his disobedience to God's command regarding the Amalekites. To understand the verse's meaning, let's break it down and consider the context:
"But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things..." This describes a specific action by the Israelite soldiers. They kept some of the livestock that they had captured from the Amalekites. The phrase "chief of the devoted things" is crucial. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy (devote) everything belonging to the Amalekites. This meant nothing was to be kept as plunder. Everything was to be sacrificed or destroyed as an offering to God, acknowledging His victory.
"...to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal." This is the stated reason for keeping the livestock. The people claimed they wanted to use the best animals as sacrifices to God. Gilgal was a significant place for religious ceremonies and sacrifices in Israel's history.
The meaning within the context of the story:
This verse is not meant to be read as a good or pious act. It's part of Saul's excuse for not following God's instructions. Here's what it implies:
1. Disobedience: God explicitly commanded Saul to destroy everything. By keeping the livestock, the people disobeyed God's direct order.
2. Hypocrisy: The claim that they were saving the animals for sacrifice is likely a pretext to justify their disobedience and greed. Samuel, the prophet, confronts Saul, making it clear that obedience is more important than sacrifice.
3. Rejection of God's Authority: By choosing to follow their own judgment (saving what they thought was valuable) instead of God's command, the people were rejecting God's authority.
4. Saul's failure as a leader: Saul allowed the people to take the plunder and then tried to justify their actions. This demonstrates his weakness as a leader and his failure to enforce God's commands.
In essence, the verse highlights the tension between religious ritual (sacrifice) and true obedience. God desires obedience from the heart, not just outward acts of piety that mask disobedience and self-interest.
Samuel's response in 1 Samuel 15:22-23 makes this point very clear: "Has 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. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king."
1 samuel 15:21 - But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”
What does "1 samuel 15:21" mean?
This verse is part of a larger narrative in 1 Samuel 15 about King Saul and his disobedience to God's command regarding the Amalekites. To understand the verse's meaning, let's break it down and consider the context:
"But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things..." This describes a specific action by the Israelite soldiers. They kept some of the livestock that they had captured from the Amalekites. The phrase "chief of the devoted things" is crucial. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy (devote) everything belonging to the Amalekites. This meant nothing was to be kept as plunder. Everything was to be sacrificed or destroyed as an offering to God, acknowledging His victory.
"...to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal." This is the stated reason for keeping the livestock. The people claimed they wanted to use the best animals as sacrifices to God. Gilgal was a significant place for religious ceremonies and sacrifices in Israel's history.
The meaning within the context of the story:
This verse is not meant to be read as a good or pious act. It's part of Saul's excuse for not following God's instructions. Here's what it implies:
1. Disobedience: God explicitly commanded Saul to destroy everything. By keeping the livestock, the people disobeyed God's direct order.
2. Hypocrisy: The claim that they were saving the animals for sacrifice is likely a pretext to justify their disobedience and greed. Samuel, the prophet, confronts Saul, making it clear that obedience is more important than sacrifice.
3. Rejection of God's Authority: By choosing to follow their own judgment (saving what they thought was valuable) instead of God's command, the people were rejecting God's authority.
4. Saul's failure as a leader: Saul allowed the people to take the plunder and then tried to justify their actions. This demonstrates his weakness as a leader and his failure to enforce God's commands.
In essence, the verse highlights the tension between religious ritual (sacrifice) and true obedience. God desires obedience from the heart, not just outward acts of piety that mask disobedience and self-interest.
Samuel's response in 1 Samuel 15:22-23 makes this point very clear: "Has 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. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king."