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Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Amplified Bible

1 Samuel 15:14

But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agency;   Amalekites;   Church and State;   Falsehood;   Gilgal;   Minister, Christian;   Presumption;   Repentance;   Reproof;   Rulers;   Self-Righteousness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Saul, King of Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amalekites, the;   Ox, the;   Sheep;   Sin;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gilgal;   Samuel;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hear, Hearing;   Mediator, Mediation;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Sin;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Agag;   Amalek, Amalekites;   Ban;   Israel;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Agag ;   Amalek, Amalekites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mordecai;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Agag;   Amalek;   Saul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Saul;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parashiyyot, the Four;   Repentance;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”
Hebrew Names Version
Shemu'el said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
King James Version
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Lexham English Bible
But Samuel said, "Then what is this bleating of the sheep that I hear in my ears and the lowing of the cattle that I am hearing?"
English Standard Version
And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?"
New Century Version
But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?"
New English Translation
Samuel replied, "If that is the case, then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?"
New American Standard Bible
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Samuel saide, What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
Legacy Standard Bible
But Samuel said, "What then is this sound of the sheep in my ears and the sound of the oxen which I am hearing?"
Contemporary English Version
"Then why," Samuel asked, "do I hear sheep and cattle?"
Complete Jewish Bible
But Sh'mu'el answered, "If so, why do I hear sheep bleating and cows mooing?"
Darby Translation
And Samuel said, What [means] then this bleating of sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear?
Easy-to-Read Version
But Samuel said, "Then what is that sound I hear? Why do I hear sheep and cattle?"
George Lamsa Translation
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?
Good News Translation
Samuel asked, "Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?"
Literal Translation
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the flock in my ears, and the sound of the herd that I hear?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Samuel answered: What crye is this then of shepe in myne eares, and the crye of oxen which I heare?
American Standard Version
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Bible in Basic English
And Samuel said, What then is this sound of the crying of sheep and the noise of oxen which comes to my ears?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Samuel sayde: What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Samuel said: 'What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?'
King James Version (1611)
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Samuel said, What then is the bleating of this flock in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear?
English Revised Version
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Berean Standard Bible
But Samuel replied, "Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Samuel seide, And what is the vois of flockis, that sowneth in myn eeris, and of grete beestis, whiche Y here?
Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel saith, `And what [is] the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?'
Update Bible Version
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Webster's Bible Translation
And Samuel said, What [meaneth] then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
World English Bible
Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
New King James Version
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
New Living Translation
"Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded.
New Life Bible
But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear the sounds of sheep and cattle?"
New Revised Standard
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of sheep, in mine ears, - and the lowing of oxen, which I can hear?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel said: What meaneth then this bleating of the flocks, which soundeth in my ears, and the lowing of the herds, which I hear?
Revised Standard Version
And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
THE MESSAGE
Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

Contextual Overview

10Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 11"I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My commands." Samuel was angry [over Saul's failure] and he cried out to the LORD all night. 12When Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, he was told, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument [commemorating his victory], then he turned and went on and went down to Gilgal." 13So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD. I have carried out the command of the LORD." 14But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"15Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have destroyed completely." 16Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." Saul said to him, "Speak." 17Samuel said, "Is it not true that even though you were small (insignificant) in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel, 18and the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, totally destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.' 19"Why did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but [instead] swooped down on the plunder [with shouts of victory] and did evil in the sight of the LORD?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What meaneth: Psalms 36:2, Psalms 50:16-21, Jeremiah 2:18, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 2:22, Jeremiah 2:23, Jeremiah 2:34-37, Malachi 3:13-15, Luke 19:22, Romans 3:19, 1 Corinthians 4:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:29 - General Numbers 20:11 - smote Numbers 31:14 - wroth Judges 16:15 - when thine Psalms 36:1 - The transgression Proverbs 16:2 - the ways Proverbs 28:4 - but Proverbs 30:12 - that are Luke 15:29 - Lo Acts 21:13 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great."
Genesis 15:2
Abram said, "Lord GOD, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?"
Genesis 15:4
Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir."
Genesis 15:5
And the LORD brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, "Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them." Then He said to him, "So [numerous] shall your descendants be."
Genesis 15:6
Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the LORD; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man).
Genesis 15:7
And He said to him, "I am the [same] LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance."
Genesis 15:9
So God said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Genesis 15:11
The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
Genesis 15:14
"But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.
Genesis 15:18
On the same day the LORD made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates—

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Samuel said, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears,.... For the orders were to destroy all living creatures belonging to the Amalekites, 1 Samuel 15:3 if therefore Saul had performed the commandment of the Lord, as he said he had, from whence were these sheep Samuel heard bleating?

and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? where do they come from? these questions he put to convict him of the falsehood he had delivered; the bleating and lowing of these creatures proved him a liar, and were witnesses of his breach of the divine command; and one would think every bleating and lowing of these must alarm his conscience, unless dreadfully stupefied.


 
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