Passage

1 Samuel 15

Book: 1 Samuel · NASB95

1 Samuel 15 narrates God's command through Samuel that Saul execute total herem judgment against Amalek for that nation's unprovoked attack on Israel during the Exodus (Ex 17:8-16; Deut 25:17-19). Saul partially complies, sparing King Agag and the best livestock; Samuel rebukes him, declares the kingdom torn from him, and personally executes Agag at Gilgal. The chapter is one of the foundational texts behind the modern atheist objection that the biblical God commands genocide, and it is one of ris3n's primary OT difficult-texts sources. It is also a study in obedience, monarchy, and prophetic authority: Saul's "I have obeyed" (1 Sam 15:20) is exposed as self-justification, and Samuel's pronouncement "to obey is better than sacrifice" (15:22) becomes one of the OT's clearest critiques of cult-without-conscience.

Key verses

15:2-3, divine command: "I will punish Amalek for what he did... now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has."
15:9, Saul's partial obedience: he spared Agag and the best of the spoil.
15:22-23, Samuel: "To obey is better than sacrifice... because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."
15:29, "the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind."
15:33, "Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal."

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. 2. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. 3. 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. 4. And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5. And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 6. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7. And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is before Egypt. 8. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9. 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 everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 10. Then came the word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, 11. It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And Samuel was wroth; and he cried unto Jehovah all night. 12. And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal. 13. And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. 14. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15. And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what Jehovah hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17. And Samuel said, Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel; 18. and Jehovah sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 19. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of Jehovah, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah? 20. And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal. 22. And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 24. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and thy words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 25. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah. 26. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 27. And as Samuel turned about to go away, Saul laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. 28. And Samuel said unto him, Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou. 29. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent. 30. Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah thy God. 31. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped Jehovah. 32. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. 33. 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 Jehovah in Gilgal. 34. Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:1-35, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of Yahweh’s words. 2. Yahweh of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way, when he came up out of Egypt. 3. Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” 4. Saul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5. Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley. 6. Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7. Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt. 8. He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, and of the fat calves, and the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 10. Then Yahweh’s word came to Samuel, saying, 11. “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night. 12. Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.” 13. Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.” 14. Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?” 15. Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest.” 16. Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” He said to him, “Say on.” 17. Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel; 18. and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19. Why then didn’t you obey Yahweh’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight?” 20. Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed Yahweh’s voice, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.” 22. Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.” 24. Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 25. Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh.” 26. Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected Yahweh’s word, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27. As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28. Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. 29. Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.” 30. Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.” 31. So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh. 32. Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33. Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal. 34. Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35. Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:1-35, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. 2. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 3. 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. 4. And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. ^{laid: or, fought} 6. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 8. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9. 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. ^{fatlings: or, second sort} 10. Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 11. It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 12. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. 13. And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 14. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15. And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 18. And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. ^{they: Heb. they consume them} 19. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? 20. And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. 22. 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. 23. 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. ^{witchcraft: Heb. divination} 24. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 25. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. 26. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 27. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. 28. And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 29. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. ^{Strength: or, Eternity, or, Victory} 30. Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God. 31. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. 32. 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. 33. 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. 34. Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:1-35, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'Me did Jehovah send to anoint thee for king over His people, over Israel; and now, hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah: 2. 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have looked after that which Amalek did to Israel, that which he laid for him in the way in his going up out of Egypt. 3. 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.' 4. And Saul summoneth the people, and inspecteth them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand [are] men of Judah. 5. And Saul cometh in unto a city of Amalek, and layeth wait in a valley; 6. and Saul saith unto the Kenite, 'Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I consume thee with it, and thou didst kindness with all the sons of Israel, in their going up out of Egypt;' and the Kenite turneth aside from the midst of Amalek. 7. And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah, thy going in to Shur, which [is] on the front of Egypt, 8. and he catcheth Agag king of Amalek alive, and all the people he hath devoted by the mouth of the sword; 9. and Saul hath pity, also the people, on Agag, and on the best of the flock, and of the herd, and of the seconds, and on the lambs, and on all that [is] good, and have not been willing to devote them; and all the work, despised and wasted, it they devoted. 10. And the word of Jehovah is unto Samuel, saying, 11. 'I have repented that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he hath turned back from after Me, and My words he hath not performed;' and it is displeasing to Samuel, and he crieth unto Jehovah all the night. 12. And Samuel riseth early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, 'Saul hath come in to Carmel, and lo, he is setting up to himself a monument, and goeth round, and passeth over, and goeth down to Gilgal.' 13. And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, 'Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.' 14. And Samuel saith, 'And what [is] the noise of this flock in mine ears, and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?' 15. And Saul saith, 'From Amalek they have brought them, because the people had pity on the best of the flock, and of the herd, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God, and the remnant we have devoted.' 16. And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'Desist, and I declare to thee that which Jehovah hath spoken unto me to-night;' and he saith to him, 'Speak.' 17. And Samuel saith, 'Art not thou, if thou [art] little in thine own eyes, head of the tribes of Israel? and Jehovah doth anoint thee for king over Israel, 18. and Jehovah sendeth thee in the way, and saith, Go, and thou hast devoted the sinners, the Amalekite, and fought against them till they are consumed; 19. and why hast thou not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and dost fly unto the spoil, and dost do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?' 20. And Saul saith unto Samuel, 'Because, I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and I go in the way which Jehovah hath sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I have devoted; 21. and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.' 22. And Samuel saith, 'Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as [in] hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams; 23. for a sin of divination [is] rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim [is] stubbornness; because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He also doth reject thee from [being] king.' 24. And Saul saith unto Samuel, 'I have sinned, for I passed over the command of Jehovah, and thy words; because I have feared the people, I also hearken to their voice; 25. and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.' 26. And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.' 27. And Samuel turneth round to go, and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe, and it is rent! 28. And Samuel saith unto him, 'Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and given it to thy neighbour who is better than thou; 29. and also, the Pre-eminence of Israel doth not lie nor repent, for He [is] not a man to be penitent.' 30. And he saith, 'I have sinned; now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.' 31. And Samuel turneth back after Saul, and Saul boweth himself to Jehovah; 32. and Samuel saith, 'Bring ye nigh unto me Agag king of Amalek,' and Agag cometh unto him daintily, and Agag saith, 'Surely the bitterness of death hath turned aside.' 33. And Samuel saith, 'As thy sword bereaved women, so is thy mother bereaved above women;' and Samuel heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal. 34. And Samuel goeth to Ramath, and Saul hath gone unto his house, to Gibeah of Saul. 35. And Samuel hath not added to see Saul till the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and Jehovah repented that He had caused Saul to reign over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:1-35, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: narrator (traditionally Samuel, Nathan, Gad)
Audience: monarchy-era Israel
Location: Israel during the rise of the monarchy; the Amalekite campaign runs south to "Havilah as you go to Shur, on the front of Egypt" (15:7); the climactic Agag scene is at Gilgal
Time period: events c. 1030 BC; composed c. 1000-900 BC

Theological reading

The chapter operates on two interwoven planes: the herem-judgment against Amalek and the indictment of Saul's monarchy. On the first, the divine command to "utterly destroy" (Heb. herem) is grounded explicitly in covenantal justice, Amalek's unprovoked attack on Israel during the Exodus (Ex 17:8-16, where God swears war "from generation to generation"; Deut 25:17-19, where Israel is commanded to remember and act). The Amalekite campaign is therefore not a generic genocide but a long-deferred covenantal judgment against a specific nation that had become a settled enemy of God's redemptive project. On the second plane, Saul's failure is not military but theological: he obeys partially, builds a self-monument (15:12), blames the people (15:15, 21, 24), and tries to repurpose what was devoted to destruction (herem) as sacrifice. Samuel's prophetic verdict, "to obey is better than sacrifice... rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" (15:22-23), exposes ritual without obedience as functional idolatry.

The apologetic treatment of the herem texts proceeds on several lines, none of them on its own sufficient. First, the categorical context: herem war is one-time, theocratic, prophetically-authorized, and bounded to specific Canaanite-zone nations under specific covenantal indictments. It is never offered as a paradigm for ordinary war or for any post-OT people. Second, hyperbolic-language analysis (Paul Copan, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Richard Hess): ancient Near Eastern war rhetoric routinely uses "totally destroyed" language for what was operationally a defeat-and-displacement; cross-textual evidence (Amalekites reappear in 1 Sam 30; Saul does not literally encounter every non-combatant) supports this reading. Third, the children-of-the-enemy question: any account must reckon honestly with verse 3's specification. The Christian answer is not that infanticide is morally indifferent, but that the Judge of all the earth (Gen 18:25) has the moral standing to take life, every life eventually, and may delegate that judicial act in a one-time covenantal mission. Fourth, the Christian-ethic supersession: the new covenant explicitly forbids holy war (Matt 26:52; John 18:36; 2 Cor 10:3-5); no contemporary Christian framework licenses herem.

What the text does not do is normalize violence. The chapter is bookended by divine grief (15:11, 35), and the moral hero of the chapter is the prophet who refuses Saul's syncretized worship. Samuel's personal execution of Agag is a judicial act, not vengeance, Agag's "as your sword has made women childless" reply (15:33) confirms his guilt, and Samuel himself mourns for Saul "until the day of his death." The narrative does not relish the destruction; it stands inside the tragedy.

Key words

H2764 - cherem, cherem, devoted thing, that which is set apart for total destruction under God's judicial ban. The technical term for the war here.
H4191 - mut, mut, to die, be put to death; the verb of execution.
H6635 - tzevaot, tzevaot, armies, hosts; "the LORD of Hosts" (1 Sam 15:2) opens the chapter as the Divine Warrior.
H3068 - YHWH, YHWH, the covenant name; repeatedly invoked through Samuel as the source of the command and the rejection of Saul.
H1697 - dabar, dabar, word; "you have rejected the word of the LORD" (15:23, 26).

Theological themes

Herem war is one-time, theocratic, prophet-authorized. Bounded to specific covenantal-indictment moments; never paradigmatic for ordinary war.
Long-deferred covenantal justice. Amalek's attack on Israel during the Exodus is the explicit ground (15:2; cf. Ex 17, Deut 25:17-19).
Obedience over sacrifice. Samuel's "to obey is better than sacrifice" (15:22) is one of the OT's clearest critiques of cult-without-conscience.
The Glory of Israel does not lie. 1 Sam 15:29 is one of the OT's strong divine-immutability texts; harmonized with 15:11's "I repent" by reading the latter as covenantal-relational adjustment, not metaphysical change.
Hyperbolic ANE war rhetoric. Mainstream evangelical apologists (Copan, Wolterstorff, Hess) read the "infant and nursing baby" language as conventional totalizing rhetoric for decisive defeat.
Christian-ethic supersession. The new covenant explicitly forbids holy war; no contemporary Christian framework licenses herem.

Cross-references

Exodus 17.14-16, the original Amalekite attack during the Exodus; YHWH's oath of war.
Deuteronomy 25.17-19, the standing command to remember Amalek and blot out their memory; the legal background of 1 Sam 15.
Deuteronomy 7, the foundational herem laws against Canaanite nations.
Joshua 6, Jericho as the paradigm herem campaign.
1 Samuel 30.1-2, Amalekites reappear, supporting the hyperbolic-rhetoric reading.
Esther, Haman the Agagite, a late echo of the same line.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.