God had sent Samuel to Saul to tell him to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt the Amalekites resisted them and fought against them, and they never put it right. When Saul returned from the victory over the Amalekites, he met Samuel and told him that he had performed the commandment of the Lord. He was blind to his own disobedience. Saul killed off the worthless lifestock and that which was despised, but the good and precious he held back. He also let Agag, the most evil of all the Amalekites live. He dealt friendly with him and made friends with God's enemies. But when Samuel saw the brazenness of Agag, he took the sword himself and hewed him in pieces before God. Samuel showed Saul his folly of befriending evil men.
