Question 1

What does Saul mean when he says, "I have sinned" in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Saul says, “I have sinned,” he is admitting that he disobeyed God’s command and Samuel’s words. But the way he talks shows his heart is not fully broken over his sin. He quickly adds that he feared the people and obeyed their voice, which shifts blame away from himself. Later he asks Samuel to honor him before the elders and Israel, showing he is more worried about how he looks than about being right with God. His confession is words without real surrender.

Question 2

Why does Saul blame the people by saying, "I feared the people"?

Accepted Answer

Saul’s excuse, “I feared the people, and obeyed their voice,” shows how he let public opinion matter more than God’s clear command. Instead of owning his choice, he points to the people as the reason he spared the best animals and Agag. This pattern is common when people are caught: they admit some wrong but still try to share or shift the blame. In contrast, true repentance does not hide behind others. It says, “I sinned,” without excuse, and turns back to God Himself for mercy.

Question 3

What is the meaning of "the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent"?

Accepted Answer

“The Strength of Israel” is a title for God, stressing that He is the strong, faithful one who upholds His people. When Samuel says He “will not lie nor repent,” he is saying that God does not change His mind like people do. God had already judged Saul’s repeated disobedience and rejected him as king. Saul hoped that with the right words or show of worship, the decision would be reversed. Samuel explains that God’s purpose here is firm. God is patient, but when He judges, His word can be final.

Question 4

Why did Samuel refuse to return with Saul, then later go with him?

Accepted Answer

At first, Samuel refuses to return with Saul because Saul has rejected God’s word, and God has rejected him as king. Samuel’s refusal shows that things cannot just go back to normal with a quick apology. The relationship between Saul and God’s prophet is broken. When Saul then begs to be honored before the elders and the people, Samuel turns again and goes with him, but this does not undo the judgment. It seems Samuel goes so that public worship and order continue, even while Saul’s rejection as king still stands.

Question 5

Why did Samuel kill Agag after Saul had spared him?

Accepted Answer

God had commanded that Amalek be judged fully, but Saul spared Agag and the best animals. By doing so, Saul failed to carry out God’s justice. When Samuel calls for Agag and kills him, he is finishing the command Saul left undone. Samuel’s words, “As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless,” show that this is measured justice for Agag’s own violence. It is a hard scene to read, but it underlines that God takes sin, cruelty, and disobedience very seriously.

Question 6

What does it mean that the kingdom was "rent" from Saul?

Accepted Answer

When Saul grabs Samuel’s mantle and it tears, Samuel uses that torn cloth as a picture of what God has done: “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day.” To “rend” is to tear apart. The image shows that Saul’s rule is being pulled away from him and will be handed to “a neighbour…that is better than thou.” It does not happen all at once on that day, but from that point on Saul’s reign is under judgment, and God is already preparing another king to take his place.

Question 7

How does this passage show the difference between true and false repentance?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, Saul says the right words, “I have sinned,” and even asks for his sin to be pardoned. But his focus is on saving face before the elders and Israel. He speaks more to Samuel than to God, and he makes excuses about fearing the people. True repentance is different. It owns the sin without excuse, cares more about being right with God than looking good to others, and is ready to obey going forward. Saul’s example warns us not to be content with surface confession.

Question 8

Why does Samuel mourn for Saul if God rejected him as king?

Accepted Answer

Samuel’s mourning for Saul shows his deep sorrow over what has happened. He is not glad that Saul has fallen. He grieves that a man chosen to lead God’s people has turned away in disobedience and lost so much. This sadness also reflects God’s own grief over human sin. When the passage says that the Lord repented that He made Saul king, it does not mean God made a mistake. It means God looks at what Saul has become and is grieved by it. Samuel’s tears line up with God’s sorrow over a wasted calling.

Question 9

What does this passage teach about fearing people more than God?

Accepted Answer

Saul’s words, “I feared the people, and obeyed their voice,” show how dangerous it is to let people’s opinions rule our choices. He was willing to bend God’s clear command so he would not lose the approval of his troops. In the end, he lost something far greater: his place as king and his close standing before God. This passage warns us that fearing people leads to compromise and hidden disobedience, while fearing God leads to honest obedience, even when others push us a different way.

1 Samuel 15:24

¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

Saul’s Confession

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1 Samuel 15:24

¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

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Saul’s Confession

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