1 Samuel 15:13
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
Original Language Analysis
בָּר֤וּךְ
unto him Blessed
H1288
בָּר֤וּךְ
unto him Blessed
Strong's:
H1288
Word #:
8 of 14
to kneel; by implication to bless god (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (god or the king, as
יְהוָֽה׃
be thou of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָֽה׃
be thou of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
10 of 14
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
הֲקִימֹ֖תִי
I have performed
H6965
הֲקִימֹ֖תִי
I have performed
Strong's:
H6965
Word #:
11 of 14
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
12 of 14
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
Cross References
Ruth 3:10And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.Judges 17:2And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.Proverbs 31:31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.Proverbs 28:13He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.Proverbs 30:13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.Genesis 14:19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:Genesis 3:12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.Luke 17:10So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.1 Samuel 15:9But 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.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern vassal treaties required complete fulfillment of suzerain commands. Partial compliance was treated as rebellion. Saul's claim to have 'performed' God's command while Agag lived and livestock survived represents covenant violation regardless of his self-assessment.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we deceive ourselves into believing partial obedience equals complete compliance?
- What enables religious people to claim faithfulness while practicing disobedience?
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Analysis & Commentary
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
Saul's greeting - 'Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD' - reveals either self-deception or deliberate dishonesty. His claim to have 'performed' (heqim) God's command directly contradicts reality. The verb heqim means to establish, confirm, or fulfill completely - precisely what Saul did not do. This confident assertion of obedience while standing in disobedience characterizes religious hypocrisy. Saul apparently believes his partial obedience constitutes full compliance.