Did Samuel Kill Agag?

Sep 13

1. Background of the Command

The account of Samuel and Agag is found in 1 Samuel 15. The context is Israel’s long-standing enmity with the Amalekites.

Amalek’s sin: The Amalekites attacked Israel when they came out of Egypt (Exod. 17:8–16; Deut. 25:17–19).
God’s judgment: The Lord commanded that Amalek be blotted out because of their hostility toward His people.
Saul’s mission: Samuel delivered God’s word to Saul: “Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have” (1 Sam. 15:3). This meant complete destruction of people and livestock, leaving no survivors or spoils.

The divine command set the stage for Saul’s test of obedience as king.

Instead of following through, Saul altered God’s instructions.

Partial obedience: Saul defeated the Amalekites but spared King Agag and the best livestock.
Justification: Saul claimed he kept the animals for sacrifice to the Lord (15:15).
Divine rejection: Samuel pronounced that Saul’s disobedience cost him the kingdom: “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king” (15:23).

Saul’s compromise revealed a pattern: he sought human approval and political advantage more than total submission to God’s command.

Samuel arrived at Gilgal and immediately confronted Saul.

Irony of obedience claimed: Saul greeted Samuel with, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (15:13). Yet the “bleating of the sheep” exposed his failure.
Prophetic rebuke: Samuel declared that God desires obedience over sacrifice (15:22). This principle emphasizes that outward religious acts cannot cover for inward rebellion.
Judgment announced: Samuel informed Saul that God had torn the kingdom from him, giving it to another more faithful (15:28).

The stage was set for Samuel to act decisively where Saul had failed.

Yes, the biblical text records that Samuel personally executed Agag in obedience to God’s command.

Agag’s attitude: Agag approached Samuel “cheerfully” or “confidently,” thinking the danger had passed (15:32).
Prophetic declaration: Samuel declared, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women” (15:33).
The act itself: The text states, “Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal” (15:33, ESV). Other translations render it “cut Agag to pieces” or “put Agag to death.”
Significance: This act was carried out “before the Lord,” underscoring that it was not Samuel’s personal vengeance but a prophetic fulfillment of divine justice.

The event marked a turning point in Israel’s monarchy and prophetic history.

Saul’s rejection: After this incident, Samuel no longer visited Saul (15:35). Saul’s kingship continued in outward form, but his spiritual legitimacy was gone.
Samuel’s grief: Samuel mourned for Saul, showing that the prophet took no personal delight in Saul’s downfall (15:35).
Divine sorrow: The text notes that “the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel” (15:35). This expresses God’s grief over human disobedience, even though His sovereign plan moved forward.
Transition to David: With Saul rejected, the narrative turns toward David, the man after God’s own heart, who would eventually become king.

The question “Did Samuel kill Agag?” points to broader themes in Scripture.

Seriousness of God’s word: Partial obedience is disobedience. Saul’s sparing of Agag and the livestock undermined the command, while Samuel’s act fulfilled it.
Prophetic authority: Samuel, though not a king, acted with divine authority, demonstrating that Israel’s true ruler is the Lord.
Justice and mercy: Agag’s fate highlights divine justice against violent nations, while the larger story points to God’s mercy in raising up a faithful king who would ultimately prefigure Christ.
Foreshadowing Christ’s obedience: Where Saul failed through compromise, Jesus as the Son of David obeyed fully—even unto death—becoming the perfect king who fulfills God’s will completely.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt.’” (1 Samuel 15:2)
“Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have.” (1 Samuel 15:3)
“And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.’” (1 Samuel 15:13)
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
“Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23)
“Then Samuel said, ‘Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.’” (1 Samuel 15:32)
“And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness of death is past.’” (1 Samuel 15:32)
“And Samuel said, ‘As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.’” (1 Samuel 15:33)
“And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.” (1 Samuel 15:33)
“And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul.” (1 Samuel 15:35)