Samuel Completes What Saul Had Failed To Complete (1 Samuel 15:32-35).
Samuel recognised that what had been devoted to YHWH must be given to him, and so he calls for Agag to be brought and executes him. And although it is not mentioned we would assume that Samuel also insisted on the ‘devoted' animals being slaughtered and not offered as sacrifices. Then he leaves Saul for the last time and never sees him again.
‘ Then Samuel said, “Bring you here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” '
Having completed their worship of YHWH Samuel demanded that Agag be called before him. He was determined to do what Saul had failed to do. Indeed it was his responsibility as a prophet of God.
If we translate as above Agag came ‘unsuspectingly', and even ‘happily', thinking that all was well and that he would be spared. But in fact the verb is neutral and simply indicates some form of emotion, or even apprehension. Thus LXX translates as ‘trembling'. We might therefore translate as ‘apprehensively', indicating that he was not quite sure what to expect. That would then connect with next phrase put as an apprehensive question, ‘Is the bitterness of death indeed past?' As a captor (and knowing what he would have done himself) he would know that his life hung by a thread. And he would have had cause to feel that with a prophet ‘you never knew'. He would know that what a prophet did could depend on the omens.
‘ And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before YHWH in Gilgal.'
He was soon to learn his fate. Samuel knew him as a man who could quite relentlessly slaughter others, and he sentenced him to the same fate. Indeed he had no option, for the man was ‘devoted to YHWH' and therefore had to die. And so Samuel executed him (the word only occurs here and ‘hewed in pieces' may not be strictly accurate. He presumably slew him as he would slaughter an animal), no doubt with a sword, ‘before YHWH'. YHWH's requirement was being satisfied.
‘ Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.'
Samuel and Saul then went their separate ways. This time there was no going to Gibeah for Samuel (contrast 1 Samuel 13:15). He went home to Ramah, and Saul went back to his rustic fortress in Gibeah.
‘ And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and YHWH repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.'
The final break is now signalled. The completeness of the break is stressed by the threefold description. He ‘came no more to see Saul', he ‘mourned for Saul', ‘YHWH repented that He had made Saul king'. Saul is now clearly rejected by YHWH, and we can therefore expect some indication of what YHWH will do next (which will come in the next chapter).
The clear implication of these last three Chapter s is that in spite of his successes Saul has been a failure. And yet Samuel was not unconcerned by the fact. Nor was he cynical, even though it had turned out as he had expected. Rather it was a great grief to him, a grief that had already begun in verse 11. He had hoped that Saul might turn out well in spite of his initial doubts. But now it was not to be. As for YHWH He also had withdrawn His support from Saul. As He had informed Samuel in verse 11, He was altering the planned course because the participant had proved unworthy. But He would not desert His people while Samuel was there to pray for them. He would now therefore choose a replacement for Saul.