Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

1 SAMUEL 15:10KJV
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1 Samuel 15:10 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 15:10 mean?

1 Samuel 15:10 introduces a message from the LORD to Samuel, the man who had appointed Saul as king. Following Saul’s attack on the Amalekites, the message turns attention from what Saul did to the LORD’s response.

The phrase “came the word” presents the message as something received by Samuel. The verse ends with “saying,” leading directly into the LORD’s words in verse 11.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 15:10

  • “word” — דָּבָר (davar): This word can mean a word, a message, or a matter. Here it points to a message that Samuel receives, rather than to a single spoken word.
  • “LORD” — יְהוָה (YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, represented by “LORD” in the KJV. The name identifies the source of the message that follows.

Why 1 Samuel 15:10 matters

  • The next words belong to the LORD, not to Samuel’s own thoughts. Verse 10 introduces them as “the word of the LORD,” and verse 11 begins the message itself.
  • The message addresses Saul’s actions as king. Just before verse 10, Saul and the people spare King Agag and the best animals; in verse 11, the LORD speaks of Saul turning back from following him.
  • Samuel receives the message before confronting Saul. The verses that follow show Samuel’s distress and his meeting with Saul, giving the reader the reason for their conversation.

Where else these words appear

“Samuel” Hebrew H8050 · used in 120 verses

  • Numbers 34:20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
  • 1 Samuel 9:15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
  • 1 Samuel 15:22 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.