“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”
- KJV Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.
- NKJV Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.”
- NASB Then Saul said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.”
- NLT Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.”
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
Saul again confesses sin but pleads to be honored before the elders and Israel. His chief concern remains his public reputation rather than God.
Overview
Saul repeats his confession yet his request to be honored before the people exposes that pride still rules his heart. He wants the appearance of restored standing more than reconciliation with God. The verse is a sobering portrait of a religiosity driven by image rather than by humble surrender.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- John 12:43For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
- John 5:44How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
- Isa 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.
- 2 Tim 3:5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
- Hab 2:4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—
- Luke 18:9–14To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
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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 15:30 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
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