1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Original Language Analysis
הַחֵ֤פֶץ
as great delight
H2656
הַחֵ֤פֶץ
as great delight
Strong's:
H2656
Word #:
3 of 16
pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind)
יְהוָ֑ה
Hath the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֑ה
Hath the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
4 of 16
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
בְּעֹל֣וֹת
in burnt offerings
H5930
בְּעֹל֣וֹת
in burnt offerings
Strong's:
H5930
Word #:
5 of 16
a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke)
מִזֶּ֣בַח
and sacrifices
H2077
מִזֶּ֣בַח
and sacrifices
Strong's:
H2077
Word #:
6 of 16
properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙
Behold to obey
H8085
שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙
Behold to obey
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
7 of 16
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
יְהוָ֑ה
Hath the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֑ה
Hath the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
9 of 16
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙
Behold to obey
H8085
שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙
Behold to obey
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
11 of 16
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
מִזֶּ֣בַח
and sacrifices
H2077
מִזֶּ֣בַח
and sacrifices
Strong's:
H2077
Word #:
12 of 16
properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
ט֔וֹב
is better
H2896
ט֔וֹב
is better
Strong's:
H2896
Word #:
13 of 16
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good
Cross References
Hosea 6:6For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.Proverbs 21:3To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.Mark 12:33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.Matthew 9:13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.Ecclesiastes 5:1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.Matthew 12:7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.Matthew 23:23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.Matthew 5:24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.Jeremiah 26:13Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.Exodus 19:5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Historical Context
This principle echoes throughout prophetic literature (Isaiah 1:11-17; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Amos 5:21-24). The prophets consistently taught that cultic activity divorced from covenant faithfulness was worthless. Samuel establishes the pattern later prophets would develop.
Questions for Reflection
- What religious activities do you rely on that might substitute for fundamental obedience?
- How does 'to obey is better than sacrifice' apply to contemporary worship and service?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Samuel's response contains one of Scripture's most important theological declarations: 'Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.' This is not rejection of sacrifice (which God commanded) but rejection of sacrifice as substitute for obedience. The Hebrew tov ('better') establishes priority: obedience comes first; sacrifice follows from obedient hearts. Religious ritual cannot compensate for fundamental disobedience.