1 SAMUEL 15:22

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT

To get what 1 Samuel 15:22 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.

“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

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Popularity relative to other verses in 1 Samuel chapter 15 using average monthly Google searches.

1 Samuel 15:22 Translation & Meaning

What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].

KJV Verse Original Hebrew Meaning/ Definition
This is a simplified translation of the original Hebrew word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail.
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And Samuel שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל Shemuel, the name of three Israelites Samuel
said, וַיֹּ֣אמֶר To say (used with great latitude) said
Hath the Lord לַֽיהוָה֙ (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God Lord
as great (No Hebrew definition. English implied.)
delight הַחֵ֤פֶץ Pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind) delight
in burnt offerings בְּעֹל֣וֹת A step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke) burnt offerings
and sacrifices, וּזְבָחִ֔ים Properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act) sacrifices
as in obeying כִּשְׁמֹ֖עַ To hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.) obeying
the voice בְּק֣וֹל A voice or sound voice
of the Lord? יְהוָ֑ה (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God Lord
Behold, הִנֵּ֤ה Lo! Behold
to obey שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ To hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.) obey
is (No Hebrew definition. English implied.)
better ט֔וֹב Good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well) better
than sacrifice, מִזֶּ֣בַח Properly, a slaughter, i.e., the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act) than sacrifice
and (No Hebrew definition. English implied.)
to hearken לְהַקְשִׁ֖יב To prick up the ears, i.e., hearken hearken
than the fat מֵחֵ֥לֶב Fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or choice part than fat
of rams. אֵילִֽים׃ Properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a ram (from his strength) rams

Verse Context

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  • 20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

  • 21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

  • 22  And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

  • 23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

  • 24  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.




Sources:

The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.


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