1 Samuel 15:34
New International Version
Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

New Living Translation
Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

English Standard Version
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

King James Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

New King James Version
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

New American Standard Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

NASB 1995
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

NASB 1977
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

Amplified Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

Christian Standard Bible
Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

American Standard Version
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

Contemporary English Version
Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah.

English Revised Version
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went to his home at Gibeah.

Good News Translation
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and King Saul went home to Gibeah.

International Standard Version
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

NET Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

New Heart English Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

World English Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Samuel goes to Ramath, and Saul has gone to his house—to Gibeah of Saul.

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel goeth to Ramath, and Saul hath gone unto his house -- to Gibeah of Saul.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house of the hill of Saul.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel departed to Ramatha: but Saul went up to his house in Gabaa.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah.

New American Bible
Samuel departed for Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Samuel went to Ramtha; and Saul went up to his house to Ramtha of Saul.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shemueil went on to Ramtha, and Shaul went up to his house to Ramtha of Shaul
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeath-shaul.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Samuel departed to Armathaim, and Saul went up to his house at Gabaa.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Confession
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. 35And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 16:1
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”

1 Samuel 13:14
But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”

1 Samuel 28:17-18
He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David. / 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 12:7-10
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. / I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. / Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. ...

1 Kings 15:29-30
As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, / because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, / and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Hosea 13:11
So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.

Acts 13:21-22
Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. / After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

Matthew 1:6
and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

Romans 11:29
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Acts 7:46
who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

Psalm 89:20
I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.

2 Samuel 7:15-16
But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. / Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”

1 Kings 11:31-32
and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. / But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.


Treasury of Scripture

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

Gibeah

1 Samuel 11:4
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

Jump to Previous
Home House Ramah Ramath Samuel Saul
Jump to Next
Home House Ramah Ramath Samuel Saul
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














Then Samuel went to Ramah
Ramah was Samuel's hometown and a significant location in his life and ministry. It was situated in the hill country of Ephraim, approximately five miles north of Jerusalem. Ramah served as a center for Samuel's prophetic activities and was where he built an altar to the Lord (1 Samuel 7:17). This return to Ramah signifies Samuel's withdrawal from Saul, marking a turning point in Israel's leadership. Samuel's departure underscores the severance of his relationship with Saul after Saul's disobedience to God's command regarding the Amalekites. This act of returning to Ramah can be seen as a retreat to a place of spiritual significance and reflection.

but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul
Gibeah, known as "Gibeah of Saul," was Saul's hometown and the location of his royal residence. It was located in the territory of Benjamin, about three miles north of Jerusalem. This phrase highlights the physical and symbolic separation between Samuel and Saul. Saul's return to Gibeah signifies his continued reign as king, despite God's rejection of him. Gibeah had historical significance as a place of previous moral failure in Israel (Judges 19-21), which foreshadows Saul's own failures as king. The mention of "Gibeah of Saul" emphasizes Saul's personal association with the city, marking it as a center of his kingship and a reminder of his initial anointing by Samuel. This separation between Samuel and Saul also prefigures the eventual rise of David, who would be anointed by Samuel as the new king of Israel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Samuel
A prophet and judge of Israel, Samuel was instrumental in anointing the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. In this passage, he is returning to Ramah, his hometown, after confronting Saul about his disobedience to God's command.

2. Saul
The first king of Israel, Saul was chosen by God but later rejected due to his disobedience. In this verse, Saul returns to his home in Gibeah after being rebuked by Samuel.

3. Ramah
A town in the territory of Benjamin, Ramah was the home of Samuel. It served as a place of refuge and reflection for him.

4. Gibeah of Saul
This is Saul's hometown and the place where he established his royal residence. It symbolizes Saul's return to his own ways and separation from God's guidance through Samuel.

5. Event
This verse follows the event where Saul disobeyed God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions. Samuel's departure to Ramah signifies a turning point where God's favor shifts away from Saul.
Teaching Points
Obedience Over Ritual
God values obedience to His commands more than religious rituals or sacrifices. This is a call for believers to prioritize following God's will in their lives.

Consequences of Disobedience
Saul's account serves as a warning that disobedience to God can lead to a loss of His favor and blessings. It encourages self-reflection on areas where we may be resisting God's guidance.

Separation from God
Samuel's departure from Saul symbolizes the spiritual separation that occurs when we choose our own path over God's. It challenges us to seek reconciliation and alignment with God's will.

Leadership and Accountability
As leaders, whether in the church, community, or family, we are accountable to God for our actions. Saul's failure reminds us of the importance of integrity and responsibility in leadership.

God's Sovereign Plan
Despite human failure, God's plan prevails. This reassures us that God is in control and His purposes will be accomplished, even when we falter.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

went
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to Ramah,
הָרָמָ֑תָה (hā·rā·mā·ṯāh)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7414: Ramah -- 'height', the name of several places in Israel

but Saul
וְשָׁא֛וּל (wə·šā·’ūl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

went up
עָלָ֥ה (‘ā·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his home
בֵּית֖וֹ (bê·ṯōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

in Gibeah
גִּבְעַ֥ת (giḇ·‘aṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1390: Gibeah -- 'hill', three cities in Palestine

of Saul.
שָׁאֽוּל׃ (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites


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OT History: 1 Samuel 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 15:33
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