151 And Samuel said to Saul, The Lord sent me to put the holy oil on you and to make you king over his people, over Israel: so give ear now to the words of the Lord. 2 The Lord of armies says, I will give punishment to Amalek for what he did to Israel, fighting against him on the way when Israel came out of Egypt. 3 Go now and put Amalek to the sword, putting to the curse all they have, without mercy: put to death every man and woman, every child and baby at the breast, every ox and sheep, camel and ass. 4 And Saul sent for the people and had them numbered in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the town of Amalek, and took up his position in the valley secretly. 6 And Saul said to the Kenites, Go away, take yourselves out from among the Amalekites, or destruction will overtake you with them: for you were kind to the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt. So the Kenites went away from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul made an attack on the Amalekites from Havilah on the road to Shur, which is before Egypt. 8 He took Agag, king of the Amalekites, prisoner, and put all the people to the sword without mercy. 9 But Saul and the people did not put Agag to death, and they kept the best of the sheep and the oxen and the fat beasts and the lambs, and whatever was good, not desiring to put them to the curse: but everything which was bad and of no use they put to the curse.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 15:1-9
Commentary on 1 Samuel 15:1-9
(Read 1 Samuel 15:1-9)
The sentence of condemnation against the Amalekites had gone forth long before, Revelation 18:4. As the commandment had been express, and a test of Saul's obedience, his conduct evidently was the effect of a proud, rebellious spirit. He destroyed only the refuse, that was good for little. That which was now destroyed was sacrificed to the justice of God.