What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 15:3?

Now go and attack the Amalekites

God’s directive to Saul is urgent and specific. The Amalekites had been Israel’s relentless enemy since the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 25:17-19). This command fulfills the promise that the LORD would “blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

• The instruction is personal—Saul himself is responsible for leading the charge (1 Samuel 15:1).

• It is national—Israel is God’s instrument of judgment (Judges 6:14).

• It is covenantal—obedience to this word demonstrates loyalty to the LORD (1 Samuel 12:14-15).

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and devote to destruction all that belongs to them

“To devote to destruction” means everything is placed under God’s ban (herem). Nothing is to be kept for spoil, profit, or reuse (Joshua 6:17-19).

• The ban highlights God’s holiness (Deuteronomy 7:2).

• It prevents idolatrous contamination of Israel (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).

• It is an act of worship—what is destroyed is offered wholly to the LORD (Numbers 21:2-3).

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Do not spare them

Partial mercy here would be disobedience. Sparing even a few would undermine the integrity of God’s judgment (1 Samuel 15:8-11).

• Saul’s later failure to obey fully leads to his rejection as king (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

• By contrast, complete obedience brings blessing (Genesis 22:12-17; 1 Kings 17:13-16).

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but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys

The totality of the list underscores the severity of Amalek’s corporate guilt (1 Samuel 15:33).

• God, as Creator, has authority over life (Deuteronomy 32:39).

• Corporate judgment is seen elsewhere—e.g., the Flood (Genesis 6-7) and Sodom (Genesis 19:24-25).

• Eliminating livestock removes economic benefit, ensuring the motive is obedience, not gain (Joshua 7:1, 21).

• The failure to carry this out allowed Amalekite survivors who later threatened God’s people (1 Samuel 30:1-2; Esther 3:1).

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summary

1 Samuel 15:3 is a divine command of judgment against a persistently wicked nation. God calls Saul to act swiftly, completely, and without compromise, dedicating every person and possession to destruction as an act of holy justice. The passage teaches the seriousness of sin, the necessity of full obedience, and the certainty that God’s purposes will prevail—even when His people falter.