Discovery Box1 Samuel 15:19-23 
Context15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed 1 the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” 2
15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed 3 the Lord! I went on the campaign 4 the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
15:22 Then Samuel said,
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience? 5
Certainly, 6 obedience 7 is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than 8 the fat of rams.
15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as 9 king.”
1 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
2 tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the
3 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
4 tn Heb “journey.”
5 tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the
6 tn Heb “look.”
7 tn Heb “listening.”
8 tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).
9 tn Or “from [being].”
