John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 15:23

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king." — 1 Samuel 15:23 (ASV)

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft
Or divination {e}, in whatever way it was exercised; for there were various sorts of it among the Heathens, and all condemned by the law of God, (Deuteronomy 18:10) . Now rebellion against God, or disobeying his commands, though in things otherwise, were they not forbidden by him, lawful to be done, is as heinous a sin as to be guilty of witchcraft, or any kind of divination forbidden by the law of God, and deserves as sore a punishment:

and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry :
for a man, when he has committed a sin, to persist in it obstinately, or to vindicate himself in it, and insist on his innocence, which was Saul's case, is as hateful to God as any iniquity whatever; yea, as bad as idolatry, or making use of the teraphim, as is the word here; of which see (Hosea 3:4) than which nothing is more abominable to the Lord:

because you have rejected the word of the Lord ;
disregarded his command, treated it with contempt and abhorrence:

he has rejected you from being king ;
not actually, for he continued to exercise kingly power and authority to his death, and was treated as a king by his subjects, and even by David, though anointed by the Lord; but the sentence of rejection was pronounced upon him, and the bestowal of the government on his posterity was cut off.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F5: (Moq tajx) "peccatum divinationis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "ariolandi", V. L. "magiae", Munster, Tigurine version.