What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 15:35? Samuel never again visited Saul “ And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul ” (1 Samuel 15:35a). • The break began when Saul rejected God’s command concerning the Amalekites and Samuel declared, “I will not return with you” (1 Samuel 15:26). • Samuel’s departure is more than a personal rift; it signals God’s withdrawal of prophetic guidance from Saul. Compare 1 Samuel 28:6, where Saul seeks the Lord but receives no answer. • The absence of a faithful prophet leaves Saul spiritually isolated, anticipating the later judgment described in 1 Samuel 28:15–18. • A pattern appears in Scripture: when leaders persist in rebellion, God sometimes removes His messengers (Amos 8:11–12; Matthew 23:38). Samuel mourned for Saul “ Samuel mourned for Saul ” (1 Samuel 15:35b). • Samuel’s grief shows a shepherd’s heart. Though Saul wronged him, Samuel loves the man and the nation Saul was meant to serve (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:6). • This mourning echoes God’s question, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him?” (1 Samuel 16:1). The prophet’s lament reflects God’s own sorrow while upholding God’s judgment. • Similar righteous mourning appears in Genesis 6:6, where God is grieved over mankind’s sin, and in Matthew 23:37, where Jesus weeps for Jerusalem. • Grief over sin should never paralyze obedience. Samuel continues to anoint David in the next chapter, balancing compassion with faithfulness. The LORD regretted that He had made Saul king “ and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel ” (1 Samuel 15:35c). • The same statement appears earlier in 1 Samuel 15:11, bracketing the chapter to stress divine sorrow. • God’s “regret” is not a lapse in foreknowledge (Numbers 23:19). Rather, Scripture speaks anthropomorphically to convey genuine divine grief over sin’s outcome (Genesis 6:6). • Saul’s kingship began with promise (1 Samuel 10:1, 24) but deteriorated through repeated disobedience (1 Samuel 13:13–14; 15:22–23). God’s regret underscores His holiness: He will not bless unrepentant rebellion. • The verse sets the stage for David, “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22), showing that God’s sovereign plan moves forward even when human leaders fail. summary 1 Samuel 15:35 closes the chapter with three sobering realities: the severed relationship between prophet and king, the prophet’s heartfelt grief, and God’s righteous sorrow over Saul’s disobedience. Together they warn against stubborn rebellion, invite compassionate mourning for those who stray, and affirm that the Lord remains just and sovereign, moving His redemptive purposes forward even when human choices grieve Him. |
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