1 Samuel 15:22

“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…”

“Hath the Lord ... - A grand example of the moral and spiritual teaching of the prophets (see the marginal references). The tension of Samuel’s spirit, as he is about to pronounce the sentence of rejection, produces a lyrical turn of thought and language. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Sacrifice - Because obedience to God is a moral duty, constantly and indispensably necessary; but sacrifice is but a ceremonial institution, sometimes unnecessary, as it was in the wilderness: and sometimes sinful, when it is offered by a polluted hand, or in an irregular manner. Therefore thy gross disobedience to God's express command, is not to be compensated with sacrifice. Hearken - That is, to obey. Fat - Then the choicest part of all the sacrifice. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 15:23”

“15:22 What is more pleasing: God values obedience much more than ritual (see also Ps 40:6; Hos 6:6; Matt 12:7). • the fat of rams: The choicest parts of the animal were offered to God.”

“Hath the Lord: Psa 50:8, Psa 50:9, Psa 51:16, Psa 51:17; Pro 21:3; Isa 1:11-17; Jer 7:22, Jer 7:23; Hos 6:6; Amo 5:21-24; Mic 6:6-8; Mat 9:13, Mat 12:7, Mat 23:23; Heb 10:4-10 obey: Exo 19:5; Ecc 5:1; Jer 7:23, Jer 11:4, Jer 11:7, Jer 26:13; Hos 6:6; Mat 5:24; Mar 12:33 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 15:23”

“Without entering, therefore, into any discussion of the meaning of the ban, as Saul only wanted to cover over his own wrong-doings by giving this turn to the affair, Samuel put a stop to any further excuses, by saying, "Hath Jehovah delight in burnt-offerings and slain-offerings as in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? (i.e., in obedience to His word.) Behold, hearing (obeying) is better than slain-offerings, attending better than fat of rams." By saying this, Samuel did not reject sacrifices as worthless; he did not say that God took no pleasure in burnt-offerings and slain-offerings, but simply compared sacrifice with obedience to the command of God, and pronounced the latter of greater…”