Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.

8. Agag ] Agag perhaps means “fiery.” As the name is found in Num 24:7, it was probably an hereditary title, like Pharaoh among the Egyptians.

utterly destroyed all the people ] All who fell into their bands. Some survived, and continued a guerilla warfare against the Israelites (1Sa 27:8, 1Sa 30:1; 2Sa 8:12). The last remnant of them was destroyed by a band of Simeonites in the reign of Hezekiah (1Ch 4:43).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The saving Agag alive was in direct violation of the devotion to destruction.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Saul spared

Agag, either out of foolish pity for the goodliness of his person, which Josephus notes; or for his respect to his royal majesty, in the preservation of which he thought himself concerned; or for the glory of his triumph: compare 1Sa 15:12.

All the people, to wit, the body of the people, but not every individual person, as hath been showed. Universal particles are commonly thus understood, as is confessed.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

8, 9. he took Agag . . . aliveThiswas the common title of the Amalekite kings. He had no scruple aboutthe apparent cruelty of it, for he made fierce and indiscriminatehavoc of the people. But he spared Agag, probably to enjoy the gloryof displaying so distinguished a captive, and, in like manner, themost valuable portions of the booty, as the cattle. By this wilfuland partial obedience to a positive command [1Sa15:3], complying with it in some parts and violating it inothers, as suited his own taste and humor, Saul showed his selfish,arbitrary temper, and his love of despotic power, and his utterunfitness to perform the duties of a delegated king in Israel.

1Sa 15:10;1Sa 15:11. GODREJECTS HISFOR DISOBEDIENCE.

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

And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive,…. This name seems to be a common name of the kings of these people, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptians, see Nu 24:2. When this king fell into the hands of Saul, he did not put him to death, as he should have done, but preserved him; for what reasons, see in the following verse:

and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword; that is, all that came in his way, or fell into his hands; all between Havilah and Shur; all excepting those that made their escape, for we after read of Amalekites, and that in large bodies, 1Sa 27:8.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

8. Agag This was the common title of the Amalekite, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian, and Abimelech of the Philistine kings.

Utterly destroyed all the people “That is, all that fell into the hands of the Israelites; for it follows from the very nature of the case that many escaped, and consequently there is nothing striking in the fact that Amalekites are mentioned again at a later period. 1Sa 27:8 ; 1Sa 30:1; 2Sa 8:12.” Keil.

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