1 Samuel 15:30
New International Version
Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

New Living Translation
Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

English Standard Version
Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God.”

Berean Standard Bible
“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

King James Bible
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

New King James Version
Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

NASB 1995
Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”

NASB 1977
Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”

Amplified Bible
Saul said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

Christian Standard Bible
Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the LORD your God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the LORD your God.”

American Standard Version
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah thy God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Shaul said: “I have sinned! Now honor me before the Elders of my people and before Israel and return with me. I shall worship LORD JEHOVAH your God!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul said, I have sinned; yet honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of Israel, and before my people; and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord thy God.

Contemporary English Version
Saul said, "I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel. Come back with me, so I can worship the LORD your God."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then he said: I have sinned: yet honour me now before the ancients of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may adore the Lord thy God.

English Revised Version
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul replied, "I have sinned! Now please honor me in front of the leaders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me, and let me worship the LORD your God."

Good News Translation
"I have sinned," Saul replied. "But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all of Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the LORD your God."

International Standard Version
"I've sinned," Saul said. "But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may worship the LORD your God."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then he said: 'I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.'

Literal Standard Version
And he says, “I have sinned; now please honor me before [the] elderly of my people and before Israel, and return with me; and I have bowed myself to your God YHWH.”

Majority Standard Bible
“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

New American Bible
But Saul answered: “I have sinned, yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Return with me that I may worship the LORD your God.”

NET Bible
Saul again replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the LORD your God."

New Revised Standard Version
Then Saul said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

New Heart English Bible
Then he said, "I have sinned: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

World English Bible
Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'I have sinned; now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Confession
29Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.” 30“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.” 31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.…

Cross References
John 5:44
How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

John 12:43
For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

1 Samuel 15:31
So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

1 Samuel 26:21
Then Saul replied, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!"

2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." "The LORD has taken away your sin," Nathan replied. "You will not die.

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: "These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.


Treasury of Scripture

Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.

honour me now

Habakkuk 2:4
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

John 5:44
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

John 12:43
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

that I may worship

Isaiah 29:13
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Luke 18:9-14
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: …

2 Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

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Bowed Elders Heads Honor Honour Israel Please Saul Sin Sinned Turn Worship
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














(30) Yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders.--It was a strange penitence, after all, this sorrow of Saul for his great sin. He was, no doubt, terribly in earnest and in great fear; but his earnestness was based upon a desire to maintain his power and royal state, and his fear sprang from a well-grounded apprehension that if he lost the countenance of Samuel the seer, the revered and honoured servant of the Lord, he would probably forfeit his crown. "If Saul had been really penitent, he would pray to have been humble rather than to be honoured" (St. Gregory, quoted by Wordsworth).

Verses 30, 31. - Then he said, I have sinned. We have here no real confession of guilt. Even in ver. 24 the words were rather an expression of vexation at the strictness with which he was held to the letter of the command, than an acknowledgment that he really had done wrong. Here Saul's meaning seems to be, Well, granting that I have sinned, and that this sentence of exclusion kern the kingdom is passed upon me, yet at least pay me the honor due to the rank which I still continue to hold. And to this request Samuel accedes. Saul was de facto king, and would continue to be so during his lifetime. The anointing, once bestowed, was a consecration for life, and so generally it was in the days of the son that the consequences of the father's sin came fully to pass (1 Kings 11:34, 35; 1 Kings 14:13, etc.). Had Samuel refused the public honour due to Saul's rank, it would have given an occasion for intrigue and resistance to all who were disaffected with Saul's government, and been a step towards bringing back the old anarchy. Jehovah thy God. See on ver. 13.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“I have sinned,”
חָטָ֔אתִי (ḥā·ṭā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

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

“Please
נָ֛א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

honor
כַּבְּדֵ֥נִי (kab·bə·ḏê·nî)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3513: To be heavy, weighty, or burdensome

me now
עַתָּ֗ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

before
נֶ֥גֶד (ne·ḡeḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before

the elders
זִקְנֵֽי־ (ziq·nê-)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2205: Old

of my people
עַמִּ֖י (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and before
וְנֶ֣גֶד (wə·ne·ḡeḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

Come back
וְשׁ֣וּב (wə·šūḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

with me,
עִמִּ֔י (‘im·mî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

so that I may worship
וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֖יתִי (wə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wê·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

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

your God.”
אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT History: 1 Samuel 15:30 Then he said I have sinned: yet (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 15:29
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