The district here described would stretch from Havilah on the extreme east to Shur, either near Suez, or further north on the coast road from Gaza to Egypt.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 7. From Havilah – to Shur] From Pelusium in Egypt, unto the Red Sea.-Josephus. But Havilah lay eastward from the Red Sea; the Amalekites lay between this and the way to Egypt towards Shur.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

i.e. From one end of their country to the other; he smote all that he met with; but a great number of them fled away upon the noise of his coming, as is usual in such cases, and secured themselves in other places, until the storm was over, when they returned again; of whom we read before, 1Sa 13:6; 14:22.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

7-9. Saul smote the AmalekitesHisown view of the proper and expedient course to follow was his rule,not the command of God.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Saul smote the Amalekites,…. Engaging in battle with them, he overcame them, and beat them, and slew great numbers of them:

from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt; having routed them in the valley, or in whatsoever place the battle was fought, he pursued them from one end of their country to the other; from Havilah, which lay to the northeast, to Shur, which lay to the southwest, and destroyed all that came in his way between those two points, see Ge 25:18.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Sauls Incomplete Obedience. 1Sa. 15:7-9

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt,

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 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.

6.

Where are Havilah and Shur? 1 1Sa. 5:7

Shur was in Negeb, the land lying south of Beer-sheba. Generally speaking it is territory to the west of the south end of the Dead Sea. Havilah was on the edge of the Negeb. Another region by the same name was encompassed by the Pison branch of Edens river (Gen. 25:18) and reached into north Arabia (Gen. 2:11).

7.

Who was Agag? 1Sa. 15:8

Agag is the common name for all the Amalekite kings similar to the name of Pharaoh, the name of the kings of Egypt, or like Caesar, the common name of the rulers in Rome. Balaam makes mention of Agag in his prophecy (Num. 24:7). His reference implies that the king was a leading monarch at that time or else that he was the first one to attack Irsael when they came out of Egypt. This particular ruler was evidently no better than his predecessors and he was to be slain, but Saul spared him.

8.

What else did Saul spare? 1Sa. 15:9

Saul spared the best of the sheep, the oxen, and the lambs. As a matter of fact, he did not destroy that which was good. Only that which was vile and refuse was destroyed. Saul was senseless in disobeying Gods commandment in this way, but he gave a feeble excuse when he was confronted with his sin.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(7) From Havilah until thou comest to Shur.The Havilah here alluded to cannot be now identified. Shur, which signifies wall, probably refers to the wall which crossed the north-east frontier of Egypt, extending from Pelusium, past Migdol, to Hevo. Ebers suggests that this wall gave to Egypt the name of Mizraini, the enclosed, or fortified.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

7. From Havilah until thou comest to Shur From the eastern to the western boundaries of the desert south of Palestine. This territory was formerly occupied by the sons of Ishmael. See Gen 25:18.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

(7) And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. (8) And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. (9) 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 everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

Is there not a spiritual sense in this, for the Reader to gather improvement from? Do we not, my brother, in that war, which admits of no neutrality, too often spare, what we think the best of our good deeds, and think favorably of ourselves, while sacrificing the more flagrant corruptions of our nature?

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

1Sa 15:7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah [until] thou comest to Shur, that [is] over against Egypt.

Ver. 7. And Saul smote the Amalekites. ] So many as he could well come at; for many made escape, and they were still a nation in David’s days, retaining their old hatred and hostility against God’s Israel, derived to them from Esau their progenitor, and first founder. 1Ch 1:36 See 1Sa 27:8 ; 1Sa 30:1 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

from. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6) thus: “[that dwell] from Havilah, “&c.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

smote: 1Sa 14:48, Job 21:30, Ecc 8:13

Havilah: This Havilah was probably situated in Arabia, and the district of Chaulon may mark the spot. It seems different from that encompassed by the river Pison, one of the rivers of Eden. Gen 2:11, Gen 25:18

Shur: 1Sa 27:8, Gen 16:7

Reciprocal: Gen 10:29 – Havilah Gen 20:1 – Kadesh Exo 15:22 – wilderness of Shur Exo 17:14 – for I will Jdg 12:15 – in the mount 1Sa 27:9 – left neither 1Sa 30:1 – the Amalekites 1Ch 1:23 – Havilah 1Ch 4:43 – the rest

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1Sa 15:7-8. To Shur That is, from one end of their country to the other; he smote all that he met with: but a great number of them fled away upon the noise of his coming, and secured themselves in other places, till the storm was over. Destroyed all Whom he found. Now they paid dear for the sins of their ancestors. They were themselves guilty of idolatry and numberless sins, for which they deserved to be cut off. Yet, when God would reckon with them, he fixes upon this as the ground of his quarrel.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments