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Monday, April 28th, 2025
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Read the Bible

King James Version

1 Samuel 15:21

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Amalekites;   Church and State;   Falsehood;   Gilgal;   Minister, Christian;   Presumption;   Repentance;   Reproof;   Responsibility;   Rulers;   Saul;   Self-Righteousness;   Self-Will;   Thompson Chain Reference - Excuses;   Justification;   Responsibility;   Samuel;   Saul, King of Israel;   Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Sin;   Stewardship-Ownership;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amalekites, the;   Self-Will and Stubbornness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gilgal;   Samuel;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Esther, Theology of;   Mediator, Mediation;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Sin;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   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 ;   Gilgal;   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 - Accursed;   Ahimelech;   Gilgal;   Punishments;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parashiyyot, the Four;   Sacrifice;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
Hebrew Names Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.
Lexham English Bible
The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."
English Standard Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
New Century Version
The soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."
New English Translation
But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle—the best of what was to be slaughtered—to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
Amplified Bible
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things [that were] to be totally destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
New American Standard Bible
"But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the people tooke of the spoyle, sheepe, and oxen, and the chiefest of the things which shoulde haue bene destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
Legacy Standard Bible
But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."
Contemporary English Version
All the animals were going to be destroyed anyway. That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the Lord your God."
Complete Jewish Bible
But the people took some of the spoil, the best of the sheep and cattle set aside for destruction, to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal."
Darby Translation
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.
Easy-to-Read Version
And the soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."
George Lamsa Translation
But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.
Good News Translation
But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God."
Literal Translation
And the people took from the spoil of the flock, and the first of the herd, that devoted, to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but ye people haue take of the spoyle, shepe & oxen, and ye best amoge the damned, to offer vnto ye LORDE thy God in Gilgall.
American Standard Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.
Bible in Basic English
But the people took some of their goods, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which were put to the curse, to make an offering of them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the people toke of ye spoyle, sheepe, oxen, and the chiefest of the thynges whiche shoulde haue ben destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.'
King James Version (1611)
But the people tooke of the spoile, sheepe and oxen, the chiefe of the things which should haue bene vtterly destroyed, to sacrifice vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But the people took of the spoils the best flocks and herds out of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our God in Galgal.
English Revised Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
Berean Standard Bible
The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the puple took of the prey, scheep and oxun, the firste fruytis of tho thingis, that ben slayn, that thei make sacrifice to her Lord God in Galgalis.
Young's Literal Translation
and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.'
Update Bible Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.
Webster's Bible Translation
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
World English Bible
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.
New King James Version
But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
New Living Translation
Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
New Life Bible
But the people took some of their things that were left. They took sheep and cattle and the best of the things to be destroyed, to give to the Lord your God at Gilgal."
New Revised Standard
But from the spoil the people took sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the people took, of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things so devoted, - to sacrifice unto Yahweh thy God, in Gilgal.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the people took of the spoils, sheep and oxen, as the firstfruits of those things that were slain, to offer sacrifice to the Lord their God in Galgal.
Revised Standard Version
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

Contextual Overview

10 Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, 11 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. 12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. 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 . 14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? 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 ?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: 1 Samuel 15:15, Genesis 3:13, Exodus 32:22, Exodus 32:23

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 13:9 - he offered 2 Chronicles 15:11 - offered Proverbs 21:27 - sacrifice Ecclesiastes 5:1 - give Isaiah 58:2 - they seek Isaiah 61:8 - I hate Matthew 25:44 - when Matthew 26:9 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 15:15
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Genesis 15:19
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
Exodus 33:2
And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Exodus 34:11
Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Deuteronomy 7:1
When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
Matthew 8:28
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the people took the spoil, the sheep and oxen,.... Still he continues to lay the blame on the people, when he, as king, ought to have restrained them:

the chief of the things, which should have been utterly destroyed; this betrays him, and is an evidence against him; he could not plead ignorance, he knew and he owns, that according to the command of God they were all devoted to destruction; and therefore he ought not to have suffered the people to have spared any on whatsoever pretence, but to have seen all destroyed; but he was as deeply in it as they, and therefore palliates the thing, and endeavours to excuse them by observing, that their end was good, the service and glory of God, which perhaps were never thought of till now: namely,

to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal; as peace offerings, by way of thanksgiving for the victory obtained, 1 Samuel 15:15.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord thy God - There is an implied censure of Samuel in this phrase. Saul says that Samuel blames him for what was done in honor of Samuel’s God; as if be had more zeal for the glory of God than was felt by Samuel.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 15:21. To sacrifice unto the Lord — Thus he endeavours to excuse the people. They did not take the spoil in order to enrich themselves by it, but to sacrifice unto the Lord; and did not this motive justify their conduct?


 
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