Zachor
On four Shabbatot beginning in Adar, additional Torah readings (the “Four Parashiyot”) are read after the weekly Parashah, reflecting seasonal themes relating to Purim and Passover. Their associated Haftarot also relate to these themes. The second of the Four Parashiyot, “Zachor” (Deut. 25:17-19), records the commandments to remember and not to forget Amalek’s cowardly attack against the Israelites as they left Egypt (Ex. 17:8-13), and the duty for the Jewish people, at peace in the Land, to annihilate Amalek. The Haftarah records Saul’s failure to properly fulfill this command. Furthermore, the Talmud (Megillah 13a) and the Midrash (Esther Rabbah Pesikta 7) directly connect Saul’s failure to the rise of Haman the Agagite many centuries later.
After centuries of ad-hoc military leadership, the Israelite tribes ask the prophet Samuel to appoint a king to lead them in battle against their enemies. God grants this request, and Samuel anoints the warrior, Saul, as king. Saul leads a powerful, centralized army to defeat all of Israel’s principal enemies. Afterwards , Samuel commands Saul to battle the nation of Amalek in the south by killing every Amalekite person and animal. Saul and the people do so, except they spare Amalek’s king, Agag, and many of their animals. Samuel informs Saul that his failure to carry out God’s command without exception renders him unfit to be Israel’s king, and that he will be replaced with a better king. Saul’s reactions to this rejection further confirm his unworthiness. Samuel executes King Agag and departs from Saul. They will never again speak or meet.
Haftarah Breakdown
Verses 1-3: Samuel instructs Saul to avenge Amalek’s attack against the Israelites after the Exodus.
I Samuel 15:3
Now [Saul,] go and smite Amalek. [You and your men shall] utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not. Slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.
עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד־אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד־יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד־שֶׂ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל וְעַד־חֲמֽוֹר׃
Verses 4-6: Saul assembles more than 200,000 men. The Kenites, Israelite allies since the Exodus who lived among the Amalekites, accept Saul’s encouragement to depart before the war against Amalek.
I Samuel 15:6
Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, descend from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. You acted with kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” The Kenites departed from among Amalek.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֣וּל אֶֽל־הַקֵּינִ֡י לְכוּ֩ סֻּ֨רוּ רְד֜וּ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עֲמָלֵקִ֗י פֶּן־אֹֽסִפְךָ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֞ה עָשִׂ֤יתָה חֶ֙סֶד֙ עִם־כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בַּעֲלוֹתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיָּ֥סַר קֵינִ֖י מִתּ֥וֹךְ עֲמָלֵֽק׃
Verses 7-9: Saul and his men obliterate the Amalekites. They capture its king, Agag, alive. They destroy lesser quality property and animals but keep more valuable ones.
I Samuel 15:9
Saul and the people had pity on Agag, and on the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and everything good- they refused to utterly destroy them. Everything that was of little value and weak, they utterly destroyed.
וַיַּחְמֹל֩ שָׁא֨וּל וְהָעָ֜ם עַל־אֲגָ֗ג וְעַל־מֵיטַ֣ב הַצֹּאן֩ וְהַבָּקָ֨ר וְהַמִּשְׁנִ֤ים וְעַל־הַכָּרִים֙ וְעַל־כָּל־הַטּ֔וֹב וְלֹ֥א אָב֖וּ הַחֲרִימָ֑ם וְכָל־הַמְּלָאכָ֛ה נְמִבְזָ֥ה וְנָמֵ֖ס אֹתָ֥הּ הֶחֱרִֽימוּ׃
Verses 10-11: God informs Samuel that, due to Saul’s deviation from His command, He regrets making Saul king. Upset by this, Samuel prays to God all night to no avail.
I Samuel 15:11
“I [God] regret that I made Saul king because he turned away from [following] Me, and did not fulfill My words.” This aggrieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.
נִחַ֗מְתִּי כִּֽי־הִמְלַ֤כְתִּי אֶת־שָׁאוּל֙ לְמֶ֔לֶךְ כִּֽי־שָׁב֙ מֵאַֽחֲרַ֔י וְאֶת־דְּבָרַ֖י לֹ֣א הֵקִ֑ים וַיִּ֙חַר֙ לִשְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיִּזְעַ֥ק אֶל־ה' כָּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃
Verses 12-15: Samuel finds Saul leading a victory celebration. Samuel rejects Saul’s claim that he fulfilled God’s word. Saul states that his soldiers destroyed all Amalekite property, keeping only the finest animals as sacrifices.
I Samuel 15:15
Saul said, “[The soldiers] brought [the animals] from the Amalekites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God. We utterly destroyed the rest.”
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י הֱבִיא֗וּם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָמַ֤ל הָעָם֙ עַל־מֵיטַ֤ב הַצֹּאן֙ וְהַבָּקָ֔ר לְמַ֥עַן זְבֹ֖חַ לַה' אֱלֹקיךָ וְאֶת־הַיּוֹתֵ֖ר הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ׃
Verses 16-19: Samuel replies that, despite Saul’s personal humility, he failed his royal duty by allowing his soldiers to take spoils.
I Samuel 15:17
Samuel said, “Though you [Saul] are small in your own eyes, you are the head of Israel’s tribes- the Lord anointed you king over Israel!”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל הֲל֗וֹא אִם־קָטֹ֤ן אַתָּה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ רֹ֛אשׁ שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אָ֑תָּה וַיִּמְשָׁחֲךָ֧ הֹ' לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Verses 20-23: Saul explains that he killed all Amalekites and captured their king, Agag, and that the soldiers took the finest animals to sacrifice. Samuel replies that God has rejected Saul as king because He values strict obedience.
I Samuel 15:22
Samuel said [to Saul], “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as obeying the Lord’s voice? Behold! To obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken [is better] than the fat of rams.”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל הַחֵ֤פֶץ לַֽה' בְּעֹל֣וֹת וּזְבָחִ֔ים כִּשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל ה' הִנֵּ֤ה שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח ט֔וֹב לְהַקְשִׁ֖יב מֵחֵ֥לֶב אֵילִֽים׃
Verses 24-31: Saul requests forgiveness for heeding his soldiers instead of the divine command, and asks Samuel to serve God with him. Samuel delines, telling Saul that God has irrevocably decided to replace him with a better king.
I Samuel 15:26
Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you: for you rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל לֹ֥א אָשׁ֖וּב עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י מָאַ֙סְתָּה֙ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר ה' וַיִּמְאָסְךָ֣ ה' מִהְי֥וֹת מֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Verses 32-34: Samuel explains the justice of executing Agag, and then does so.
I Samuel 15:33
Samuel said [to Agag], “As your sword made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” Samuel cut down Agag before the Lord in Gilgal.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׁכְּלָ֤ה נָשִׁים֙ חַרְבֶּ֔ךָ כֵּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל מִנָּשִׁ֖ים אִמֶּ֑ךָ וַיְשַׁסֵּ֨ף שְׁמוּאֵ֧ל אֶת־אֲגָ֛ג לִפְנֵ֥י ה' בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃
With emendations, all translations are from Sefaria.org. To dedicate, comment, or subscribe, email haftarahhelper@gmail.com.