Agag was the king of the Amalekites whom King Saul was commanded by God to utterly destroy, an act of judgment that became the pivotal test of Saul’s obedience and led directly to his rejection as king over Israel.
The name “Agag” may have been a dynastic title, similar to “Pharaoh” for Egyptian rulers, as an Agag is mentioned centuries earlier in the prophecy of Balaam (Numbers 24:7). However, the Agag most famously known in Scripture is the one captured by Saul.
The Divine Command and Saul’s Disobedience
The Lord’s instruction to Saul, delivered by the prophet Samuel, was a complete and uncompromising judgment upon the Amalekites for their unprovoked attack on Israel during the Exodus (Exodus 17:8-16).
“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.” (1 Samuel 15:3, KJV)
King Saul and the people successfully conquered the Amalekites. However, they failed to execute the command perfectly.
“And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” (1 Samuel 15:8-9, KJV)
Saul’s choice to spare Agag—perhaps intending to parade him as a trophy—and the people’s desire to keep the best of the livestock were acts of selective obedience, placing their own desires above the explicit will of God.
Samuel’s Rebuke and the Execution
The prophet Samuel confronted Saul at Gilgal, where Saul attempted to justify his partial obedience by claiming the livestock was spared to “sacrifice unto the LORD thy God.” Samuel delivered the famous rebuke, clarifying that incomplete obedience is not obedience at all.
“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23, KJV)
Since Saul failed to execute the divine judgment, Samuel took the authority upon himself.
“Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.” (1 Samuel 15:32-33, KJV)
Agag’s death sealed Saul’s rejection, marking the moment the kingdom was torn from him.
The Return Question
The story of Agag serves as a powerful testament to the absolute necessity of complete obedience to a clear, divine command. Saul’s failure was not merely a tactical error, but a moral and spiritual rejection of the Lord’s authority. This narrative highlights the peril of selective obedience, where a person chooses to keep what is desirable to them (the spoil and the captured king) while claiming to serve God. For those awaiting the Lord’s Return, this lesson is critical: the commands of the Lord concerning repentance, holiness, and separation from the world’s ways must be obeyed completely, for partial obedience is disobedience.
Prophetic Hotspot: Agagite Legacy
Centuries after his death, Agag’s lineage appears to have survived, leading to a later conflict. The antagonist of the Book of Esther, Haman, who sought to exterminate all the Jews in Persia, is identified as an “Agagite.” This connection suggests that Saul’s initial act of disobedience in sparing King Agag had consequences that extended far into Israel’s future, nearly culminating in the genocide of God’s people. This link underscores that the failure to execute divine judgment completely can lead to the continued existence and manifestation of evil forces seeking to oppose God’s plan and His people.