1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel declared: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Bible > 1 Samuel > Chapter 15 > Verse 22

◄ 1 Samuel 15:22 ►

New International Version
But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

New Living Translation
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

English Standard Version
And Samuel said, “Has 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 listen than the fat of rams.

Berean Standard Bible
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So Samuel said: “Has 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 heed than the fat of rams.

New American Standard Bible
Samuel said, “Does the LORD have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

NASB 1995
Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

NASB 1977
And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Amplified Bible
Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obedience to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

American Standard Version
And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Contemporary English Version
"Tell me," Samuel said. "Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Samuel said, "Is the LORD as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams.

Good News Translation
Samuel said, "Which does the LORD prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him.

International Standard Version
Samuel said, "Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

Majority Standard Bible
But Samuel declared: ?Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

NET Bible
Then Samuel said, "Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams.

New Heart English Bible
Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Look, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Samuel says, “Has YHWH had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as [in] listening to the voice of YHWH? Behold, listening is better than sacrifice; to give attention than fat of rams;

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel saith, 'Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Samuel will say, Was it pleasing to Jehovah in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as to hear to the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to hear, above a good sacrifice, and to hearken, above the fat of rams.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel said: Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices: and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Samuel said: “Does the Lord want holocausts and victims, and not instead that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifice. And to heed is greater than to offer the fat of rams.

New American Bible
But Samuel said: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the LORD’s command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams.

New Revised Standard Version
And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Samuel said, The LORD is not as well pleased with burnt offerings and sacrifices as with one who obeys his voice. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifices, and to hearken, than the fat of rams.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shemueil said: “LORD JEHOVAH is not pleased with burnt offerings and with sacrifices as with him who listens to his voice. Behold, listening is better than sacrifice, and to obey than the fat of rams

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Samuel said: 'Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, As in hearkening to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Samuel said, Does the Lord take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of the Lord? behold, obedience is better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Samuel Denounces Saul
…21The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” 22But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. 23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Psalm 51:16-17
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. / The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? / Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? / He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Proverbs 21:3
To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Isaiah 1:11-17
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...

Jeremiah 7:22-23
For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, / but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...

Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 12:7
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Mark 12:33
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Hebrews 10:5-9
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. / In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight. / Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’” ...

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

James 1:22
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

James 2:17
So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Treasury of Scripture

And Samuel said, Has 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 listen than the fat of rams.

Hath the Lord

Psalm 50:8,9
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me…

Psalm 51:16,17
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering…

Proverbs 21:3
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

obey

Exodus 19:5
Now 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:

Ecclesiastes 5:1
Keep 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.

Jeremiah 7:23
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

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1 Samuel 15

1. Samuel sends Saul to destroy Amalek
6. Saul favors the Kenites
7. He spares Agag and the best of the spoil
10. Samuel denounces unto Saul God's rejection of him for his disobedience
24. Saul's humiliation
32. Samuel kills Agag
34. Samuel and Saul part

Berean Study Bible

But Samuel declared
The phrase introduces the prophet Samuel, a pivotal figure in Israel's history, serving as a judge, prophet, and leader. His declaration is authoritative, representing God's direct communication to King Saul. Samuel's role as a prophet underscores the importance of divine guidance over human authority, emphasizing that true leadership in Israel is rooted in obedience to God.

Does the LORD delight
The Hebrew root for "delight" (חָפֵץ, chafets) conveys a sense of pleasure or desire. This rhetorical question challenges the assumption that ritualistic practices alone can satisfy God. It invites reflection on the nature of true worship, suggesting that God's pleasure is not in the external acts themselves but in the heart's alignment with His will.

in burnt offerings and sacrifices
These were central elements of Israelite worship, prescribed in the Mosaic Law as means of atonement and fellowship with God. However, the historical context reveals that these practices had become mere rituals for many, devoid of genuine devotion. The emphasis here is on the insufficiency of sacrifices when detached from a life of obedience.

as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
The phrase contrasts ritual compliance with heartfelt obedience. The Hebrew word for "obeying" (שָׁמַע, shama) implies listening with the intent to act. This highlights the relational aspect of faith, where hearing God's voice leads to transformative action. Obedience is portrayed as the true measure of faithfulness.

Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice
The word "behold" (הִנֵּה, hinneh) serves as an attention-grabbing device, emphasizing the profound truth that follows. The comparison elevates obedience above ritual, suggesting that God values a submissive heart over ceremonial observance. This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, reinforcing the idea that God desires a relationship characterized by trust and submission.

and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams
"Attentiveness" (קָשַׁב, qashab) implies a focused, intentional listening. The "fat of rams" represents the choicest part of sacrificial offerings, symbolizing the highest form of ritual worship. The comparison underscores that God prioritizes a heart attuned to His will over the most lavish offerings. This challenges believers to prioritize inner devotion over external displays of piety.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.--In this answer it would seem that the Spirit of the Lord descended upon Samuel, and that he here gave utterance to one of those rapt expressions which now and again in the course of each of these Hebrew prophets' lives these famous men were commissioned by the Divine power to give out to their fellows. The words of Samuel here were reproduced, or at least referred to, by other prophets and teachers of the old dispensation; for example, see Psalm 50:8-14; Psalm 51:16-17; Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Micah 6:6-8; Hosea 6:6. Our Lord himself, in His words recorded in Matt. ix, 13, if not actually referring to this passage, makes substantially the same declaration. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 22, 23. - The rebuke of Samuel contains one of those pregnant sayings which mark the high moral tone of the teaching of the prophets, and soon became a fundamental principle with them. To obey is better than sacrifice is a dictum reproduced by Hosea (Hosea 6:6), the most ancient of those prophets of Israel whose lessons have been preserved in writing; it is referred to in still earlier psalms (see Psalm 50:13-14; Psalm 51:16, 17); by other prophets (Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Micah 6:6, 8); and finally received our Lord's special approbation (Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7). It asserts in the clearest terms the superiority of moral to ritual worship, and that God can only be really served with the heart. Witchcraft is in the Hebrew divination, a sin always strongly condemned in the Old Testament. Iniquity literally means nothingness, and so is constantly used for "an idol;" and this must be its signification here, as the word coupled with it, and rendered idolatry, is really teraphim. These were the Hebrew household gods, answering to the Roman Lares, and were supposed to bring good luck. Their worship, we see from this place, was strictly forbidden. The verse, therefore, means, "For rebellion is the sin of divination (i.e. is equal to it in wickedness), and obstinacy (i.e. intractableness) is an idol and teraphim." Samuel thus accuses Saul of resistance to Jehovah's will, and of the determination at all hazards to be his own master. With this temper of mind he could be no fit representative of Jehovah, and therefore Samuel dethrones him. Henceforward he reigns only as a temporal, and no longer as the theocratic, king.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

declared:
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Does the LORD
לַֽיהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

delight
הַחֵ֤פֶץ (ha·ḥê·p̄eṣ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2656: Pleasure, desire, a valuable thing, a matter

in burnt offerings
בְּעֹל֣וֹת (bə·‘ō·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

and sacrifices
וּזְבָחִ֔ים (ū·zə·ḇā·ḥîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2077: A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

as much as in obeying
כִּשְׁמֹ֖עַ (kiš·mō·a‘)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the voice
בְּק֣וֹל (bə·qō·wl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the LORD?
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

Behold,
הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

obedience
שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ (šə·mō·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

is better
ט֔וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

than sacrifice,
מִזֶּ֣בַח (miz·ze·ḇaḥ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2077: A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

[and] attentiveness
לְהַקְשִׁ֖יב (lə·haq·šîḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

is better than the fat
מֵחֵ֥לֶב (mê·ḥê·leḇ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2459: Fat, richest, choice part

of rams.
אֵילִֽים׃ (’ê·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 352: Strength, strong, a chief, a ram, a pilaster, an oak, strong tree

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OT History: 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said Has Yahweh as great delight (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)