Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 15

(1 Samuel 15:1–3) Samuel also said unto Saul ... —The compiler of the history, selecting, no doubt, from ancient state records, chose to illustrate the story of the reign and rejection of Saul by certain memorable incidents as good examples of the king’s general life and conduct. The incidents were also selected to show the rapid development of the power and resources of Israel at this period.

The sacred war with Amalek is thus introduced without any “note of time.”

The Lord sent me to anoint thee. —The account of the Amalekite war is prefaced by the solemn words used by the seer when he came to announce the Eternal’s will to Saul. They are quoted to show that the war was imposed upon Israel in a general official way by the accredited prophet-messenger of the Most High.

That which Amalek did to Israel. —The Amalekites were a fierce, untameable race of wanderers, who roamed at large through those deserts that lie between Southern Judea and the Egyptian frontier. They were descended from Esau’s grandson, Amalek.

Not long after the exodus from Egypt, they attacked and cruelly harassed the almost defenceless rearguard of Israel in the desert of Rephidim. They were then, at the prayer of Moses, defeated by Joshua; but, for this cowardly, unprovoked attack, solemnly doomed to destruction.

In the prophecy of Balaam they are alluded to as the first of the nations who opposed the Lord’s people. During the stormy ages that followed, the hand of Amalek seems to have been constantly lifted against Israel, and we read of them perpetually as allied with their relentless foes.

Smite Amalek, and utterly destroy ... —For “utterly destroy,” the Hebrew has the far stronger expression, “put under the ban” (cherem). Whatever was “put under the ban” in Israel was devoted to God, and whatever was so devoted could not be redeemed, but must be slain. Amalek was to be looked upon as accursed; human beings and cattle must be killed; whatever was capable of being destroyed by fire must be burnt. The cup of iniquity in this people was filled up. Its national existence, if prolonged, would simply have worked mischief to the commonwealth of nations.

Israel here was simply the instrument of destruction used by the Almighty. It is vain to attempt in this and similar transactions to find materials for the blame or the praise of Israel. We must never forget that Israel stood in a peculiar relation to the unseen King, and that this nation was often used as the visible scourge by which the All-Wise punished hopelessly hardened sinners, and deprived them of the power of working mischief. We might as well find fault with pestilence and famine, or the sword—those awful instruments of Divine justice and—though we often fail to see it now—of Divine mercy.

In Telaim. —This place is identical with Telem (Joshua 15:24), a place on the southern border of Judah, near the region where the Amalekites chiefly dwelt.— Kimchi Telaim, however, signifies “lambs;” “Beth,” house of, should probably be understood. Thus it was no town, but the “place or house of lambs”—some open spot, where, at the proper season, the lambs were collected from the pastures in the wilderness.— Dean Payne Smith.

Ten thousand men of Judah. —Again the numbers of this great tribe are out of proportion to the numbers furnished by the rest of the tribes (see Note on 1 Samuel 11:8).

A city of Amalek. —Better rendered, The city of Amalek: no doubt, their principal place of arms.

And laid wait in the valley. —Better, in a torrent bed, then dry (Arabic, "Wady"). There is a strange tradition in the Talmud that Saul had misgivings when he came to this "torrent bed." Thus, he recalled the command of Deuteronomy 21:4 to slay a heifer at a torrent in expiation of a murder, and determined not to carry out the stern charge of Samuel, but to spare rather than to slay.