And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
Ver. 15. They have brought … the people spared, &c.] He had no hand in it, if you will believe him; he lays all the blame upon the people, - contrary to 1 Samuel 15:9, - they would have it so, and how could he hinder them? A poor shift of weak princes, an ordinary trick of arrant hypocrites, to save themselves by charging others. As harlots when their beauty is decayed, desire to hide it from themselves by false glosses, and from others by paintings: so do hypocrites their sins, - from themselves by false glosses, and from others by shuffling and excuses.
To sacrifice unto the Lord.] Thus piety is frequently pretended to worldly respects, Php 3:18-19 and to wicked respects. Matthew 23:14 1Ki 21:9 2Sa 15:8 Mat 2:8 But this is putrid hypocrisy; it is double iniquity.
The rest we have utterly destroyed.] With shame enough might he speak it: but it was past that time of day with him.