Bible Strands
1 Samuel 15:13
When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Saul greets Samuel upon his arrival, declaring that he has fulfilled the LORD’s command. This exchange occurs after Saul retreats to Gilgal ahead of the prophet’s scheduled confrontation.
The words — בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה (ba.rukh a.tah) translates literally as “you are blessed.” The phrase operates as a standard greeting of favor, here deployed by Saul to frame his subsequent claim of obedience.
The thread — The blessing formula functions as a conventional expression of divine favor in Ruth 3:10 and Judges 17:2, standing in contrast to Genesis 3:12 where human speech shifts toward evasion rather than accountability.
Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to measure spoken claims of obedience against subsequent actions. It demands that self-justifying language be tested against the full scope of divine instruction.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.
Cross-references
- Judges 17:2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
- Ruth 3:10 Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
- Genesis 3:12 And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
- Genesis 14:19 and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
- 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to devote them to destruction, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.
- 1 Samuel 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.
- Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- Proverbs 30:13 There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
- Proverbs 31:31 Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
- Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”