But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

1 SAMUEL 15:9KJV
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1 Samuel 15:9 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 15:9 mean?

1 Samuel 15:9 describes how Saul and the Israelite people chose to spare King Agag and keep the best animals and valuable things from the Amalekites, instead of destroying everything as they had been commanded. They only destroyed what was worthless or undesirable.

In this verse, the prophet Samuel had relayed God’s command to Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites and all they owned. Instead, Saul and his army decided to keep the things they found valuable—such as the best sheep, oxen, and other animals—and only got rid of what they considered “vile and refuse.” This selective obedience sets up the confrontation between Samuel and Saul that follows in the chapter.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 15:9

  • "Spared" (חָמַל, ḥāmal) means to have pity or to hold back from destroying. Here, it shows Saul and the people made a conscious choice to go against the command to destroy everything.
  • "Best" (מֵיטָב, mētāb) refers to the highest quality or most valuable things. The verse highlights that Saul and the people were motivated by what they saw as good or desirable.
  • "Would not" (לֹא אָבוּ, lō ʾābû) means they refused or were unwilling. This points to a willful decision, not just an oversight.
  • "Utterly destroy" (הֶחֱרִים, heḥĕrîm) is a strong term meaning to devote to complete destruction, often for religious reasons. The verse stresses that this was the specific command they chose to disobey.

Why 1 Samuel 15:9 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Saul’s failure was not just a minor mistake but a deliberate choice to keep what he valued, directly disobeying God’s clear instructions.
  • The details about what was spared and what was destroyed show the selective nature of Saul’s obedience, which becomes a key issue in the rest of the chapter.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain why Samuel later confronts Saul so strongly and why Saul’s kingship is ultimately rejected by God.

Where else these words appear

“best” Hebrew H4315 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 47:6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
  • Genesis 47:11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
  • Exodus 22:5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

“Agag” Hebrew H90 · used in 6 verses

  • Numbers 24:7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
  • 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.
  • 1 Samuel 15:32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

“lambs” Hebrew H3733 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
  • Psalms 65:13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
  • Ezekiel 4:2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.

“refuse” Hebrew H4549 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
  • Judges 15:14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
  • Isaiah 10:18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.