And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
The verse belongs to the account of the command to destroy the Amalekites, whose attack on Israel and continued wickedness had brought a sentence of judgment long deferred. It records Saul's second transgression, which showed that he was unfit to rule and had forfeited his right to the kingdom. His disregard of God's express command was presumption and set a ruinous example for Israel.
In this account Saul denied his wrongdoing until the facts left him unable to deny it, yet he made no confession of sin and considered himself misused and ill-treated. As Samuel turned to leave, Saul in fear grasped his mantle to keep him from going, and the mantle tore in his hands. The torn mantle was a sign of divine judgment that the kingdom was torn from Saul and given to a neighbor who was better than he.
Saul knew the Lord had rejected him and repeatedly foretold that he would be dethroned and that his descendants would lose the throne because of his sins. Saul's persistence in his own way after rejecting reproof makes him an example of those who resist counsel and correction and thereby lose honor and finally their souls.
The verse belongs to the account of the command to destroy the Amalekites, whose attack on Israel and continued wickedness had brought a sentence of judgment long deferred. It records Saul's second transgression, which showed that he was unfit to rule and had forfeited his right to the kingdom. His disregard of God's express command was presumption and set a ruinous example for Israel.
In this account Saul denied his wrongdoing until the facts left him unable to deny it, yet he made no confession of sin and considered himself misused and ill-treated. As Samuel turned to leave, Saul in fear grasped his mantle to keep him from going, and the mantle tore in his hands. The torn mantle was a sign of divine judgment that the kingdom was torn from Saul and given to a neighbor who was better than he.
Saul knew the Lord had rejected him and repeatedly foretold that he would be dethroned and that his descendants would lose the throne because of his sins. Saul's persistence in his own way after rejecting reproof makes him an example of those who resist counsel and correction and thereby lose honor and finally their souls.