And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
Parallel translations
- WEB Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
- BSB Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
- 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; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
- Ezek 24:14I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
- Titus 1:2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
- 2 Tim 2:13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
- Heb 6:18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
- Ps 95:11Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
- Joel 3:16The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
- 2 Cor 12:9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- Isa 45:24Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
- Ps 68:35O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
- Deut 33:27The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
- 1 Chr 29:11Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
- Ps 29:11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
- Num 14:28–29Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
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.