Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Samuel 15:22

"And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." — 1 Samuel 15:22 (ASV)

Has the Lord ... - This is a grand example of the moral and spiritual teaching of the prophets (see the marginal references). The tension in Samuel’s spirit, as he is about to pronounce the sentence of rejection, produces a lyrical turn of thought and language.