The Meaning of 1 Samuel 15:3 Explained

1 Samuel 15:3

KJV: Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

YLT: Now, go, and thou hast smitten Amalek, and devoted all that it hath, and thou hast no pity on it, and hast put to death from man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, from camel unto ass.'

Darby: Now go and smite Amalek, and destroy utterly all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

ASV: Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now go  and smite  Amalek,  and utterly destroy  all that they have, and spare  them not; but slay  both man  and woman,  infant  and suckling,  ox  and sheep,  camel  and ass. 

What does 1 Samuel 15:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 15:1-16 - Leading The People In Disobedience
Several years intervened between the preceding chapter and this. The kingdom had become strong and prosperous. It seemed as though Samuel's sentence of deposition had been forgotten. But even in hot summer weather, the taint of autumn decay may be in the air. The speck of corruption was slowly eating into Saul's heart, and at last, when this charge came concerning Amalek, the evil was revealed to all. Amalek was under a curse, and the existence of the tribe was a standing menace to the peace and prosperity of the surrounding nations; hence the edict for its destruction, Exodus 17:16. Even in this world God judges the nations, and condemns such as have ceased to fulfill His purpose. In spite of God's distinct command, Saul connived at the reservation of the choicest and best of the spoils, and this brought about his rejection. It is noticeable, also, that an Amalekite claimed to have dispatched Him on the field of Gilboa, 2 Samuel 1:1-10. If we spare what God has commanded us to destroy, it may later destroy us. Take care in your obedience; you serve an exacting though loving God! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 15

1  Samuel sends Saul to destroy Amalek
6  Saul favors the Kenites
7  He spares Agag and the best of the spoil
10  Samuel denounces unto Saul God's rejection of him for his disobedience
24  Saul's humiliation
32  Samuel kills Agag
34  Samuel and Saul part

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 15:3 mean?

Now go and attack - Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and not do spare them but kill from man to woman from infant and to nursing child ox and sheep camel donkey -
עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת־ עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁר־ ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד־ אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד־ יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד־ שֶׂ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל חֲמֽוֹר ס

עַתָּה֩  Now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
לֵ֨ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה  and  attack 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֲמָלֵ֗ק  Amalek 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲמָלֵק  
Sense: son of Eliphaz by his concubine Timnah, grandson of Esau, and progenitor of a race of people in southern Canaan.
וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙  and  utterly  destroy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: חָרַם 
Sense: to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
ל֔וֹ  they  have 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַחְמֹ֖ל  do  spare 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה  but  kill 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
מֵאִ֣ישׁ  from  man 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אִשָּׁ֗ה  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
מֵֽעֹלֵל֙  from  infant 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יוֹנֵ֔ק  nursing  child 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָנַק 
Sense: to suckle, nurse, suck.
מִשּׁ֣וֹר  ox 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
שֶׂ֔ה  sheep 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
מִגָּמָ֖ל  camel 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּמָל  
Sense: camel.
חֲמֽוֹר  donkey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation