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.

1 SAMUEL 15:3KJV
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1 Samuel 15:3 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 15:3 mean?

1 Samuel 15:3 records God’s command to Saul, through the prophet Samuel, to attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything that belongs to them, including men, women, children, and all their livestock. The instruction is total and leaves no room for sparing anyone or anything connected to Amalek.

Samuel is relaying God’s message to Saul, the king of Israel, as part of a specific judgment against the people of Amalek for their past actions against Israel. The verse uses very strong language to emphasize that nothing should be left alive, highlighting the seriousness and completeness of the command. This sets the stage for the events that follow in the chapter, where Saul’s response to this command becomes a turning point in his kingship.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 15:3

  • "smite" (נָכָה, nakah): This word means to strike or attack, often with the intent to kill or defeat. Here, it emphasizes a forceful military action.
  • "utterly destroy" (חָרַם, charam): This word means to devote something to destruction, often as an offering to God, leaving nothing for personal gain. It signals that the destruction is not just military but also religious in nature.
  • "spare" (חָמַל, chamal): This word means to have pity or to show mercy. The command is explicit that Saul is not to let compassion influence his actions in this case.
  • "infant" (עוֹלֵל, olel) and "suckling" (יוֹנֵק, yoneq): These words refer to very young children and nursing babies, showing the totality of the command, which includes even the most vulnerable.

Why 1 Samuel 15:3 matters

  • This verse is often discussed because of its difficult and sweeping nature, prompting questions about judgment, mercy, and obedience in the Bible.
  • The command’s totality highlights the seriousness of God’s instructions to Saul and sets up the later conflict when Saul does not fully obey.
  • Understanding the original Hebrew words helps clarify that the destruction was meant to be absolute, not leaving room for personal interpretation or partial fulfillment.

Where else these words appear

“infant” Hebrew H5768 · used in 20 verses

  • 1 Samuel 22:19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
  • Isaiah 13:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
  • Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

“suckling” Hebrew H3243 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 21:7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
  • Deuteronomy 33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
  • Isaiah 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

“Amalek” Hebrew H6002 · used in 37 verses

  • Genesis 36:12 And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.
  • Deuteronomy 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
  • 1 Samuel 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

“sheep” Hebrew H7716 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
  • Exodus 34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
  • 1 Samuel 14:34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.