Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 15:29
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.
29. the Strength of Israel ] This word, which occurs here only as a title of God, combines the ideas of stability, permanence, constancy: the Strength or Confidence of Israel does not change as men do.
will not lie nor repent ] The words closely resemble Num 23:19. There is a verbal contradiction between this utterance and 1Sa 15:11, which is usually explained by saying that in 1Sa 15:11 the historian uses language according to the manner of men ( ), while here the prophet speaks as befits the nature of God ( ). This is only a partial solution. It is precisely because God is unchangeable, that in His dealing with men He must seem to change His action as they change their conduct. This is one aspect of the great problem which runs through all religion, how human free-will can coexist with the Divine Sovereignty. Scripture is content to state both sides of the question, and leave conscience rather than reason to reconcile them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The strength of Israel – A phrase which occurs only here. The word means, perpetuity, truth, glory, victory, and trust, or confidence.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 29. The Strength of Israel will not lie ] What God has purposed he will bring to pass, for he has all power in the heavens and in the earth; and he will not repent – change his purpose – concerning thee.
We may say it was some extenuation of Saul’s fault that the people insisted on preserving the best of the prey; for who could resist the demands of a victorious mob? But his crime was in consenting; had he not, the crime would have been theirs alone.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He calls God
the Strength of Israel; partly, to show the reason why God neither will nor can lie; because lying is a weakness, and proceeds from the sense of a mans weakness, because he cannot many times accomplish his design without lying and dissimulation; which therefore many princes have used for this very reason. But, saith he, God needs no such artifices; he can do whatsoever he pleaseth by his absolute power, and hath no need to use lies to accomplish his will. Partly, to show that Israel should be no loser by Sauls loss, as he might vainly imagine, because he had saved them from their enemies on every side, 1Sa 14:47. For not Saul, but God, was the Strength and Protector of Israel, and he would continue to save them when Saul was lost and gone. And partly, to assure Saul that God would execute this threatening, because he wanted not strength to do it, and none could hinder him in it.
Nor repent, i.e. nor change his counsel; which also is an effect of weakness and imperfection, either of wisdom or power.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
29. the Strength of Israel will notlieHebrew, “He that gives a victory to Israel,”a further rebuke of his pride in rearing the Carmel trophy, and anintimation that no loss would be sustained in Israel by hisrejection.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent,…. Neither of the evil which he had threatened to Saul in taking away the kingdom from him; nor of the good which he had promised to David in giving it to him; nor of his purpose and promise to Israel to protect and defend them, save and deliver them from the Philistines, and continue them a nation and kingdom: and for the confirmation of all this, this title or character of the Lord is given, “the Strength of Israel”; hence he cannot lie, which is the effect of weakness; nor repent or change his mind, as men do, when something unforeseen arises, which hinders the execution of their first design, and which through weakness they cannot surmount: and hence God would support Israel as a nation, and strengthen them against their enemies, and work deliverance and salvation for them: or “the victory of Israel” q; the author of Israel’s victories, and to whom they are to be ascribed, and who is able to give them more, and would; and as he did especially by David, to whom the kingdom is promised: or “the eternity of Israel” r; that gives firmness, permanency, and duration to them; all which is true of Israel in a spiritual sense; he gives them spiritual strength, victory over their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, permanent duration, everlasting salvation, immortality, and eternal life:
for he is not a man, that he should repent; men are weak and feeble, and cannot perform what they purpose or promise, and therefore repent; but God, the Strength of Israel, is able to perform whatever he has purposed or promised, and therefore repents not; men are changeable in their minds, and repent of their first thoughts and designs; but God is unchangeable, and never alters his counsels, breaks his covenant, reverses his blessings, repents of his gifts, nor changes his affections to his Israel. Abarbinel says this may be understood of Saul, and so be given as a reason why God would not repent of the evil he had threatened him with, because he was a man that repented not of his sin; but the first sense is best, and agrees with and is confirmed by Nu 23:19.
q “victoria Israel”, Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator; “victor Israelis”, Tigurine version. r “Aeternitas Israelis”, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(29) The Strength of Israel will not lie.This title of the Eternal, here rendered the Strength of Israel, would be better rendered the Changeless One of Israel. The Hebrew word is first found in this passage. In later Hebrew, as in 1Ch. 29:2, it is rendered glory, from the Aramaean usage of speech (Keil). Some, less accurately, would translate it here The Victory, or the Triumph of Israel, will not lie, &c. In the eleventh verse of this chapter we read of the Eternal saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king, while here we find how the Changeless One (or Strength) of Israel will . . . not repent. The truth is that with God there is no change. Now He approves of men and their works and days, and promises them rich blessings; now He condemns and punishes the ways and actions of the same men; hence He is said to repent: but the change springs alone from a change in the men themselves, not in God. Speaking in human language the Lord is said to repent because there was what appeared to be a change in the Eternal counsels.
One instrument, well says Dean Payne Smith, may be laid aside, and another chosen (as was the case of Saul), because God ordains that the instruments by which He works shall be beings endowed with free will. So God in the case of King Saulin human languagewas said to repent of His choice because, owing to Sauls deliberate choice of evil, the Divine purposes could not in his case be carried out. Predictions and promises in the Scriptures are never absolute, but are always conditional. Still, God is ever the Changeless One of Israel. The counsel of the Lord stands for ever (Psa. 33:11). I am Jehovah; I change not (Mal. 3:6).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
29. Strength of Israel Jehovah, thus called not only because of his omnipotence, but also because of his constancy and truth the glorious object of Israel’s confidence.
Will not lie nor repent Compare 1Sa 15:11 and note there. Jehovah has feelings of love and anger: love for the righteous and anger towards the wicked. If the righteous man turn from his righteousness, or the wicked from his wickedness, towards him correspondingly Jehovah’s feelings change. This is often called repentance in God. But beyond this the divine Nature is not subject to change. In man, however, repentance implies sinfulness and fallibility, and involves a moral and religious change, so that it is never after the manner of man that God repents.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 15:29. And also the Strength of Israel According to the original, and the Margin of our Bibles, it is, he who gives victory, and disposes of kingdoms, or, the triumphant king of Israel. Houbigant renders it, he who is the leader of, or who presides over, Israel.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Sa 15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.
Ver. 29. And also the Strength (or Eternity) of Israel will not lie nor repent.] This was most fearful, and showed that the sentence passed upon Saul was irrevocable. Do not think, saith a reverend man, a this is a case that seldom comes; it is done every day, upon some or other.
a Dr Preston.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the Strength = the Eternal One. First occurrence. Hebrew. nezah. A Divine title.
repent : i.e. as God, though He is said to do so by the Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
a man. Hebrew. ‘adam. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Strength: or, Eternity, or, Victory, Deu 33:27, Psa 29:11, Psa 68:35, Isa 45:24, Joe 3:16, 2Co 12:9, Phi 4:13
will not lie: Num 14:28, Num 14:29, Num 23:19, Psa 95:11, Eze 24:14, 2Ti 2:13, Tit 1:2, Heb 6:18
Reciprocal: Gen 6:6 – repented Gen 32:12 – thou Exo 6:8 – I am 1Ki 12:15 – that he might 2Ki 10:10 – fall unto the earth 1Ch 29:11 – the victory Psa 89:33 – not utterly take Psa 132:11 – sworn Isa 1:20 – for the mouth Jer 4:28 – because Eze 22:14 – I the Hos 13:14 – repentance Mal 3:6 – I change not Rom 3:3 – shall Jam 1:17 – no variableness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
15:29 And also the {m} Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.
(m) Meaning God, who maintains and prefers his own.