1 Samuel 15:33
New International Version
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal.

New Living Translation
But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

English Standard Version
And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Berean Standard Bible
But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

King James Bible
And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

New King James Version
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

New American Standard Bible
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

NASB 1995
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

NASB 1977
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Legacy Standard Bible
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before Yahweh at Gilgal.

Amplified Bible
Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Christian Standard Bible
Samuel declared: As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women. Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Samuel declared: As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women. Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

American Standard Version
And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.

Contemporary English Version
But Samuel said, "Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them. Now your mother will be without children." Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.

English Revised Version
And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Samuel said, "As your sword made women childless, so your mother will be made childless among women." And Samuel cut Agag in pieces in the presence of the LORD at Gilgal.

Good News Translation
Samuel said, "As your sword has made many mothers childless, so now your mother will become childless." And he cut Agag to pieces in front of the altar in Gilgal.

International Standard Version
Samuel said, "Just as your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women." Then Samuel cut Agag into pieces in the LORD's presence in Gilgal.

Majority Standard Bible
But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

NET Bible
Samuel said, "Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!" Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women." Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

World English Bible
Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Samuel says, “As your sword bereaved women—so is your mother bereaved above women”; and Samuel hews Agag in pieces before YHWH in Gilgal.

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel saith, 'As thy sword bereaved women -- so is thy mother bereaved above women;' and Samuel heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Samuel will say, As thy sword bereaved women of children, so of women shall thy mother be bereaved of children. And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel said: As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Galgal.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Samuel said, “Just as your sword caused women to be without their children, so will your mother be without her children among women.” And Samuel cut him into pieces, before the Lord at Gilgal.

New American Bible
And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” Then he cut Agag to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

New Revised Standard Version
But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother shall be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel cut King Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shemueil said: “Just as your sword bereaved women, so shall your mother be bereaved with the women!” And Shemueil cut King Agag in pieces before LORD JEHOVAH in Galgala
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Samuel said: As thy sword hath made women childless, So shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Samuel said to Agag, As thy sword has bereaved women of their children, so shall thy mother be made childless among women: and Samuel slew Agag before the Lord in Galgal.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Confession
32Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal. 34Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.…

Cross References
Exodus 17:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt, / how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God. / When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

Numbers 24:7
Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.

Judges 1:7
Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

1 Samuel 28:18
Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the LORD has done this to you today.

2 Samuel 1:10
So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

2 Samuel 8:12
from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

Esther 9:5
The Jews put all their enemies to the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did as they pleased to those who hated them.

Psalm 137:8-9
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us. / Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Isaiah 34:6
The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

Jeremiah 48:10
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.

Ezekiel 25:17
I will execute great vengeance against them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.’”

Matthew 7:2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”


Treasury of Scripture

And Samuel said, As the sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

As thy sword

Genesis 9:6
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Exodus 17:11
And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

Numbers 14:45
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

hewed

Numbers 25:7,8
And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; …

1 Kings 18:40
And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

Isaiah 34:6
The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

Jump to Previous
Agag Bereaved Bone Childless Children Cut Death Hewed Heweth Mother Pieces Samuel Sword Women
Jump to Next
Agag Bereaved Bone Childless Children Cut Death Hewed Heweth Mother Pieces Samuel Sword Women
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














But Samuel declared
The Hebrew word for "declared" is "אָמַר" (amar), which means to say, speak, or utter. This word is often used in the context of divine pronouncements or prophetic declarations. Samuel, as a prophet, speaks with authority from God, emphasizing the seriousness of the message he is about to deliver. His declaration is not merely his own words but a reflection of divine justice.

As your sword has made women childless
The phrase highlights the consequences of Agag's actions. The Hebrew word for "sword" is "חֶרֶב" (chereb), symbolizing violence and destruction. Agag, as the king of the Amalekites, was responsible for acts of war that left many women without children. This phrase underscores the principle of divine retribution, where the punishment mirrors the crime. It reflects the biblical theme of justice, where actions have corresponding consequences.

so your mother will be childless among women
This phrase is a direct pronouncement of judgment upon Agag. The Hebrew word for "childless" is "שָׁכֹל" (shakol), which means to be bereaved or to lose children. The imagery of a mother being childless is poignant, emphasizing the totality of Agag's impending doom. It serves as a stark reminder of the cost of sin and disobedience against God's commands.

And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces
The Hebrew verb "שָׁסַף" (shasaph) means to cut or hew down. This action by Samuel is both literal and symbolic. It represents the execution of divine justice and the fulfillment of God's command to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Samuel's actions demonstrate the seriousness with which God's commands are to be taken and the role of the prophet in executing divine judgment.

before the LORD at Gilgal
The phrase "before the LORD" indicates that this act was done in the presence of God, signifying divine approval and oversight. Gilgal holds historical and spiritual significance as a place of covenant renewal and divine encounters in Israel's history. It serves as a reminder that God's presence is central to the life and actions of His people. The location underscores the importance of obedience and the consequences of failing to follow God's commands.

(33) Samuel hewed Agag in pieces.--It has been suggested, with some probability, that these words refer to a peculiar form of putting to death, like the quartering in vogue during the Middle Ages.

Verse 33. - As thy sword hath made women childless. Agag's life had been spent in freebooting expeditions, in which he had shed blood ruthlessly, and so justice required his execution in requital of his deeds to others. Samuel hewed Agag in pieces. The verb occurs only here, and probably refers to some particular method of execution, like the quartering of the middle ages. Being in the Piel conjugation, it would mean not so much that Samuel put Agag to death himself as that he commanded it to be done.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל (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

“As
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

your sword
חַרְבֶּ֔ךָ (ḥar·be·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

has made women
נָשִׁים֙ (nā·šîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

childless,
שִׁכְּלָ֤ה (šik·kə·lāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7921: To miscarry, suffer abortion, to bereave

so
כֵּן־ (kên-)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

your mother
אִמֶּ֑ךָ (’im·me·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

will be childless
תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל (tiš·kal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7921: To miscarry, suffer abortion, to bereave

among women.”
מִנָּשִׁ֖ים (min·nā·šîm)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

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

hacked Agag
אֲגָ֛ג (’ă·ḡāḡ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 90: Agag -- king of Amalek

to pieces
וַיְשַׁסֵּ֨ף (way·šas·sêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8158: To cut in pieces, slaughter

before
לִפְנֵ֥י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

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

at Gilgal.
בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃ (bag·gil·gāl)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine


Links
1 Samuel 15:33 NIV
1 Samuel 15:33 NLT
1 Samuel 15:33 ESV
1 Samuel 15:33 NASB
1 Samuel 15:33 KJV

1 Samuel 15:33 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 15:33 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 15:33 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 15:33 French Bible
1 Samuel 15:33 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 15:33 Samuel said As your sword has made (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 15:32
Top of Page
Top of Page