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.
I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not obeyed my commands. This deeply troubled Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night long.
God expresses His regret over making Saul king because of Saul's disobedience, and Samuel is so heartbroken by this news that he prays and weeps to God through the entire night.
📚 Historical Context
This comes after Saul's failure to completely destroy the Amalekites as God had commanded, instead sparing their king and the best livestock. Samuel had been the prophet who anointed Saul as Israel's first king, so hearing God's regret would have been personally devastating to him. The concept of God 'repenting' reflects the Hebrew understanding that God responds emotionally to human choices, though His ultimate purposes remain unchanged.
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