Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
- KJV And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
- NKJV And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
- NASB Also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind.”
- NLT And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Samuel affirms that God, the Glory of Israel, does not lie or change his mind like a man. It assures that God's verdict against Saul is unchangeable and his character utterly reliable.
Overview
Set beside verse 11, this verse clarifies that God's 'regret' is relational sorrow over sin, not fickleness or error in his eternal purpose. As the unchanging Strength of Israel, God will not retract his righteous judgment. This is a comfort to believers: the God who keeps his word in judgment also keeps his word in promise and salvation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Num 23:19God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- Ezek 24:14I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
- Titus 1:2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
- 2 Tim 2:13if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
- Heb 6:18Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
- Ps 95:11So I swore on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.”
- Joel 3:16The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
- 2 Cor 12:9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- Isa 45:24Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
- Ps 68:35O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!
- Deut 33:27The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 1 Chr 29:11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all.
- Ps 29:11The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace.
- Num 14:28–29So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 15:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.