SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:22
Y Samuel dijo: ¿Tiene el SEÑOR tanto contentamiento con los holocaustos y víctimas, como en oír la palabra del SEÑOR? Ciertamente el oír es mejor que los sacrificios; y el escuchar que el sebo de los carneros.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 15:22
Verse 22. Hath the Lord as great delight, &c.] This was a very proper answer to, and refutation of Saul's excuse. Is not obedience to the will of God the end of all religion, of its rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. And Samuel said , etc.] In reply to Saul: hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? no, certainly, the one being merely ceremonial, the other moral; the one supposes sin committed, for which sacrifice is offered; the other moral, and is a compliance with the will of God, and is neither sinful, nor supposes anything sinful, and therefore must be the more acceptable: behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams ; which always was claimed by the Lord as his right and due; or the fattest rams or best sacrifices, of whatever sort, whether burnt offerings, or sin offerings, or peace offerings; for had man obeyed the will of God, and not sinned, there would have been no need of sacrifice; and that was only acceptable to God when offered with a heart truly sensible of sin, and penitent for it, and in the faith of the great sacrifice of Christ, of which all sacrifices under the law were typical, and led unto.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-23 - Repentance in God is not a change of mind, as it is in us, but a chang of method. The change was in Saul; "He is turned back from followin me." Hereby he made God his enemy. Samuel spent a whole night in pleading for Saul. The rejection of sinners is the grief of believers God delights not in their death, nor should we. Saul boasts to Samue of his obedience. Thus sinners think, by justifying themselves, to escape being judged of the Lord. The noise the cattle made, like the rust of the silver, Jas 5:3, witnessed against him. Many boast of obedience to the command of God; but what means then their indulgenc of the flesh, their love of the world, their angry and unkind spirit and their neglect of holy duties, which witness against them? See of what evil covetousness is the root; and see what is the sinfulness of sin, and notice that in it which above any thing else makes it evil in the sight of the Lord; it is disobedience: "Thou didst not obey the voice of the Lord." Carnal, deceitful hearts, like Saul, think to excuse themselves from God's commandments by what pleases themselves It is hard to convince the children of disobedience. But humble sincere, and conscientious obedience to the will of God, is mor pleasing and acceptable to him than all burnt-offering and sacrifices God is more glorified and self more denied, by obedience than by sacrifice. It is much easier to bring a bullock or lamb to be burne upon the altar, than to bring every high thought into obedience to God and to make our will subject to his will. Those are unfit and unworth to rule over men, who are not willing that God should rule over them.
Original Hebrew
ויאמר 559 שׁמואל 8050 החפץ 2656 ליהוה 3068 בעלות 5930 וזבחים 2077 כשׁמע 8085 בקול 6963 יהוה 3068 הנה 2009 שׁמע 8085 מזבח 2077 טוב 2896 להקשׁיב 7181 מחלב 2459 אילים׃ 352
