And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childlesse, so shall thy mother bee childlesse among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 1 Samuel 15:33 (KJV)
This verse concludes the account of King Saul’s disobedience and rejection by God, and also marks the end of the narrative of 1 Samuel 15 in which Saul’s failure leads to divine judgment.
In 1 Samuel 15 God, through the prophet Samuel, commanded Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, a hostile nation. The command was explicit: “utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but you shall put to death… men, women, children, infants, and all their livestock” (1 Sam 15:3‑9).
Saul carried out the battle but did not fully obey. He defeated the Amalekites yet spared their king, Agag, and kept the best of the livestock, thereby violating the divine instruction.
When Samuel confronts Saul about his disobedience, Saul offers excuses and justifications. Samuel responds that obedience to God is more important than sacrifices or outward displays of religious devotion (1 Sam 15:22), emphasizing that rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and idolatry.
In verse 33 Samuel delivers a harsh prophetic judgment. He declares, “As thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, so hath he rejected thee from being king.” He then executes the Amalekite king, saying, “And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.” An alternative rendering records, “And Samuel took Agag, and hewed him in pieces before the LORD; and the flesh of him he sent to the walls of Jerusalem.” The text does not mention a curse on Saul’s mother, nor does it locate the act in Gilgal, as noted in the commentary.
1 Sam 15:33 serves as a reminder of the seriousness of disobedience and the importance of wholehearted obedience to God’s commands. Partial obedience is insufficient in God’s sight; Saul’s failure resulted in the loss of his kingdom and divine disfavour. The passage highlights the need for integrity in our relationship with God, teaching that God desires full commitment and complete obedience, and that disobedience carries serious repercussions. True repentance and humility are essential when we recognize our failings.
