Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
21. the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed ] The chief of the devoted things ( cherem). It might seem a praiseworthy act to reserve the spoil for sacrifice: but since it was “devoted,” it did not belong to the Israelites, and no offering could be made of it.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 Samuels God; as if be had more zeal for the glory of God than was felt by Samuel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 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?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Heb. the chief of the devoted things; which being devoted to destruction, I thought it most proper to destroy them by way of sacrifice to God. But God had commanded Saul himself to smite and slay all upon the place, above, 1Sa 15:3.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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, 1Sa 15:15.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Even the sparing of the cattle he endeavoured to defend as the fulfilment of a religious duty. The people had taken sheep and oxen from the booty, “ as firstlings of the ban,” to sacrifice to Jehovah. Sacrificing the best of the booty taken in war as an offering of first-fruits to the Lord, was not indeed prescribed in the law, but was a praiseworthy sign of piety, by which all honour was rendered to the Lord as the giver of the victory (see Num 31:48.). This, Saul meant to say, was what the people had done on the present occasion; only he overlooked the fact, that what was banned to the Lord could not be offered to Him as a burnt-offering, because, being most holy, it belonged to Him already (Lev 27:29), and according to Deu 13:16, was to be put to death, as Samuel had expressly said to Saul (1Sa 15:3).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
1Sa 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.
Ver. 21. But the people took, &c. ] See 1Sa 15:15 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the people: 1Sa 15:15, Gen 3:13, Exo 32:22, Exo 32:23
Reciprocal: 1Sa 13:9 – he offered 2Ch 15:11 – offered Pro 21:27 – sacrifice Ecc 5:1 – give Isa 58:2 – they seek Isa 61:8 – I hate Mat 25:44 – when Mat 26:9 – General