Editing Samuel (section)

===Critic of Saul===
[[File:Louvre rosa apparition.jpg|upright|right|thumb|Apparition of the spirit of Samuel to [[Saul]], by [[Salvator Rosa]], 1668]]
When Saul was preparing to fight the Philistines, Samuel denounced him for proceeding with the pre-battle sacrifice without waiting for the overdue Samuel to arrive. He prophesied that Saul's rule would see no dynastic succession.

Samuel also directed Saul to "utterly destroy" the [[Amalek]]ites in fulfilment of the commandment in Deuteronomy 25:17–19:<ref>{{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|25:17–19|NKJV}}</ref>
:''When the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, ... you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven''.

During the campaign against the Amalekites, King Saul spared [[Agag]], the king of the Amalekites, and the best of their livestock. Saul told Samuel that he had spared the choicest of the Amalekites' sheep and oxen, intending to sacrifice the livestock to the Lord. This was in violation of the Lord's command, as pronounced by Samuel, to "... 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" (1 Samuel 15:3, KJV). Samuel confronted Saul for his disobedience and told him that God made him king, and God can unmake him king. Samuel then proceeded to execute Agag. Saul never saw Samuel alive again after this.<ref>Stern, David H. (1998) Complete Jewish Bible: An English Version of the Tanakh and B'rit Hadashah. Clarksville, Maryland: Jewish New Testament Publications pp. 314–15. Sh'mu'el Alef 15. {{ISBN|978-965-359-018-2}}</ref>

Samuel then proceeded to [[Bethlehem]] and secretly anointed David as king. He would later provide sanctuary for David, when the jealous Saul first tried to have him killed.