And the LORD was grieved

In 1 Samuel 15:35 we read the somewhat surprising statement that ‘the Lord grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel’.

If a human being made such a statement, it would be fine. Saul was not a good king, but how can God say such a thing?
Nothing catches God by surprise. God chose Saul.
Certainly the Bible creates the impression that God allows prayer to change His mind (Ex 32:14 for example) but this we can understand as a device to encourage people to pray. God doesn’t change His mind, as in ‘that’s a good idea, why didn’t I think of that!’ But He allows prayer to change situations where otherwise they would take a default course.
But we can’t say this in the case of Saul.
Anyone got any ideas about this?

Im waiting for answers, i got none either.

This is a massive problem for me as well, it makes it seem as if God didnt know what was going to happen, and thought Saul would be a good king, but then when Saul disobeyed God realized "O well wasnt such a good king after all."

This is one of the favorite proof-texts of open theists, along with the Nineveh incident.

i've got the idea that it's connected here:


and here:

and here:

well,

consider..

1 Samuel 15:11 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.

We all have influence from both our good angels, and from our bad angels.
It grieved the Lord to have set up Saul as king, due to his favoring his bad angels; thereupon the Lord granted him an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16, 18, &, 19).

You have answered the question in your post.

You make a good point, but if you read the text of 1 Samuel 15:35 the Lord is grieved about His decision to make Saul king, not the unhappy outcome of Saul being the king.
It seems God could have chosen David straight away. From this we have to conclude that Saul’s disobedience was instructive for humanity, because the sins of Saul are an object lesson for us all and the way David dealt with Saul is another object lesson in how to do it right.
Very sad that Saul suffered so much. Even Samuel mourned for him.
Saul should have relinquished the crown immediately and sought God’s favour in a lesser capacity.
But this still leaves the enigma! Why, did God regret making Saul king?

What, the Lord cant be sad?
Of course He can when humans disobey Him. But humans, being human, wont always obey Him and then pray and ask for grace or to do what we want and God sometimes grants things even though we're disobeying. Like give us a human King like the nations even though you are God and rule everything. Or...lets eat the fruit you told us not to eat and risk death.

And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. 1Sam.15:29

In this sense, to "repent" means to go back on your word.

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, but now thy kingdom shall not continue 1Sam.13:13-14

You are right, setting up any King was a disappointment for God. But God accepted the will of the people. God is not a tyrant! He always works with us, even when we do stupid things.
But although not His ideal will, God still agreed to a king. So, God should have chosen a king who He knew would do his will. Why choose a king who would not?
It is perfectly understandable that God would choose a bad king for some purpose, but why would God choose a bad king AND THEN REGRET IT?

Saul was good at first it was only when Saul disobeyed, that grieved God not that he had made Saul king in the first place.
The same thing with adam and eve God made them very good, but then they chose to sin.
Even with David, he sinned too. he wasnt perfect. nobody is. EXcept for Jesus of course...he can be King, but his own people rejected him.

GOd knew Jesus wouldnt sin because hes the only begotten son of the Father.

Actually I think posthuman has the right idea! It may grieve God to do things, like make Saul king or in Genesis 6:6 it grieved God that he made man in the first place, but this does not mean God regretted it! It just means that there would be suffering because of the decision, but it is the ONLY way to get to a good conclusion. Suffering is often unavoidable. God knew when he made man that He would have to suffer the cross. It grieved Him. But He still did it! Because in the end he brings good out of bad!
Thanks guys, I think we have an answer.

Just a thought....Saul reigned 40 years.......right? David was not born or ready to be King when Saul was chosen and anointed King......and we cannot forget that power, especially absolute power has and will corrupt many a man........ALL three Kings over the united Kingdom started out better than they ended up.....

Saul ends up consulting a witch, is judged, God leaves him to his own demise and commits suicide on his own sword
David ends with a numerous dead children, old, and suffering the results of disease because of numerous sins
Solomon ends having sold out to his foreign wives and causing Israel to sin by idolatry due to having 1000 women

God knows all and sees all....he made no mistakes, and was simply grieved at the outcome knowing full well it could have gone the other direction if Saul had been faithful to the end.......that is my view....

Here are a couple of commentaries that reflect my thoughts; from Kukis & McGee


Yehowah lamented that he made Saul king over Israel. This is an anthropopathism. We have already been told unequivocally that God is not a man, therefore he does not nâcham (lament or grieve) (v. 29). And here, we have Him grieving and lamenting that he made Saul king. What an anthropopathism does is help to bring God’s actions and thoughts down to our level. He knew in eternity past what Saul would do. He knew every mistake, every action, every act of disobedience. Yet, God made Saul king over Israel because he was the man for the job at that time. There was no one better in Israel to rule Israel. However, the problem with a king, as opposed to a judge, is that they are lifetime fixtures. Good judges might judge for the majority of their lives, but they tend to relinquish their office peacefully (recall that both Eli and Samuel tried to set up their sons as judges and/or priests near the end of their lives). However, a king generally occupies that post for life and he usually leaves office by death. God knew all of this in eternity past, and Samuel knew enough principals from his knowledge of Bible doctrine to know that a king was not the best thing for Israel (which is being borne out by Saul’s lack of obedience). However, God allowed Israel to have a king, and Samuel followed suit, and King Saul, at first, appeared as though he would be a great king. And, in some areas, Saul was almost unparalleled, e.g., in the realm of bravery. Saul, despite the fact that things looked hopeless against the Philistines a chapter ago, still stood with his 600 men fearlessly, only a few miles away from the Philistine base camp. But, after being king for awhile, Saul has fallen out of the habit of obeying God completely. As king, he calls the shots. When Samuel brings him a directive from God, Saul does not necessarily set out to disobey God’s commands—it’s just as the situation unfolds, Saul seems to think that the orders can be modified to fit the situation. For this reason, he is no longer fit to be king. Therefore, God will remove him from office. To explain this in a few words, the writer here tells us that God regretted that he made Saul king.

McGee explains: When the Bible says that God repented, it means that His actions look as though he changed His mind. He has not. God said all along that if Saul did not make good, He would remove him. Saul sinned, and so God removed him from his position as king. God still hates sin and will judge it. Saul was the choice of the people, and he failed. Yet Samuel mourned for him...Samuel loved Saul a great deal...He hated to see this man fail and turn aside. That is why his words to Saul were so strong and harsh; they came from a person who loved him. The words of Samuel were also coming from the heart of God.

My friend, God’s love will not deter Him from judging sinners. He can love them and still execute judgment. Our God is holy and righteous and just, as well as loving.
anthropopathism. We have already been told unequivocally that God is not a man, therefore he does not nâcham (lament or grieve) (v. 29). And here, we have Him grieving and lamenting that he made Saul king. What an anthropopathism does is help to bring God’s actions and thoughts down to our level.

He knew in eternity past what Saul would do. He knew every mistake, every action, every act of disobedience. Yet, God made Saul king over Israel because he was the man for the job at that time. There was no one better in Israel to rule Israel. However, the problem with a king, as opposed to a judge, is that they are lifetime fixtures.

Good judges might judge for the majority of their lives, but they tend to relinquish their office peacefully (recall that both Eli and Samuel tried to set up their sons as judges and/or priests near the end of their lives). However, a king generally occupies that post for life and he usually leaves office by death. God knew all of this in eternity past, and Samuel knew enough principals from his knowledge of Bible doctrine to know that a king was not the best thing for Israel (which is being borne out by Saul’s lack of obedience). However, God allowed Israel to have a king, and Samuel followed suit, and King Saul, at first, appeared as though he would be a great king.

And, in some areas, Saul was almost unparalleled, e.g., in the realm of bravery. Saul, despite the fact that things looked hopeless against the Philistines a chapter ago, still stood with his 600 men fearlessly, only a few miles away from the Philistine base camp.

But, after being king for awhile, Saul has fallen out of the habit of obeying God completely. As king, he calls the shots. When Samuel brings him a directive from God, Saul does not necessarily set out to disobey God’s commands—it’s just as the situation unfolds, Saul seems to think that the orders can be modified to fit the situation.

For this reason, he is no longer fit to be king. Therefore, God will remove him from office. To explain this in a few words, the writer here tells us that God regretted that he made Saul king.

McGee explains: When the Bible says that God repented, it means that His actions look as though he changed His mind. He has not. God said all along that if Saul did not make good, He would remove him. Saul sinned, and so God removed him from his position as king. God still hates sin and will judge it. Saul was the choice of the people, and he failed. Yet Samuel mourned for him...Samuel loved Saul a great deal...He hated to see this man fail and turn aside. That is why his words to Saul were so strong and harsh; they came from a person who loved him. The words of Samuel were also coming from the heart of God.

My friend, God’s love will not deter Him from judging sinners. He can love them and still execute judgment. Our God is holy and righteous and just, as well as loving.

Thanks for the post.

given what God told Samuel about the reality of the situation when Israel demanded a king -- that they had rejected Him as their king -- it may not be that 'He could have chosen David straightaway' so much as He could have judged them straightaway. ((?))

it is interesting though to see how in like figure to the succession from a king whose heart turned away from God by a king whose heart is after Him, we have in the broader scope of God's dealing with mankind, the first Adam, and the last Adam.

as you are saying, it appears to be necessary in His perfect will that these things play out the way they do - showing in type, just like the firstborn Cain and his evil heart, and the secondborn Abel, who was righteous, along with many other images in scripture, how that Christ was shown to be both just and the Justifier of those whose trust is in Him, appearing only after the imperfect first appeared, so that it may be by His mercy, and to His glory.

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Very good point! This was why God didn’t want Israel to have a king!

AMEN...it was always meant to be a Theocracy...........Like God said to Samuel....they have not rejected you from being king over them......they had rejected God and like many do to this day....get to looking around and want to be like the proverbial "Jones" next door.......

It simply means that God was sorry that He had made Saul king over Israel. Of course God already knew the outcome before He made that decision, but that does not mean that He could not be grieved for making it.