Then said Samuel, Bring you here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
Consistent with his view of his own behavior, Saul claimed to have obeyed God (1 Samuel 14:13). Nevertheless he had only been partially obedient. God regards incomplete obedience as disobedience (1 Samuel 14:19). Rather than confessing his sin, Saul sought to justify his disobedience (1 Samuel 14:15; cf. Genesis 3:12; Exodus 32:22-23). He believed it was for a worthy purpose, and he failed to take responsibility for his actions and blamed the people instead (1 Samuel 14:15).