1 Samuel 15:11"It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments." Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.
The setting
Israel, ~1025 BC. God expresses genuine grief to Samuel about Saul's rebellion. Samuel responds with all-night intercession, showing the prophet's heart for both God and the king.
The emotion here: recording divine heartbreak while experiencing his own
The original word
nacham (נָחַם) — to be sorry, grieved; implies emotional pain, not regret over mistake
Why it matters
Samuel prayed all night trying to change God's mind about rejecting Saul
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 15:11
God uses the same word here that describes human grief - divine emotion is real
Common misconceptionPeople think God doesn't really feel grief since He knows everything. But knowing doesn't eliminate the pain of relationship betrayal.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 15:11
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 15:11 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 15:11 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine regret, disobedience, leadership failure. Notable phrases: It grieves me; turned back from following me.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 15:11 mean to you, today?
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