Verse 32
32. Delicately We render the passage thus: Agag came unto him in fetters. And Agag said, Terrible and bitter is the death. The majority of interpreters, ancient and modern, have understood by the word delicately that Agag came to Samuel cheerfully and with delight, and supposed that he was not to be put to death. But it is difficult to conceive how or why such a part should be acted by this captive king. The only other place where this plural form, מעדנות , occurs is in Job 38:31, and it is there translated sweet influences. But this translation makes no sense, and both Gesenius and Furst render it bands, in accordance with the Septuagint and Chaldee. According to this etymology the word is to be derived from עֶנד to bind; and מעדנת is formed by transposition of the letters נ and ד , and is to be regarded as an adverbial accusative in fetters. We render then Agag came unto him in fetters.
Surely the bitterness of death is past Thus rendered, this passage also is difficult to explain satisfactorily. Accordingly we prefer, with Furst, to render סר is terrible, rather than is past; deriving it from סור , to be bad, corrupt. The passage then becomes literally an exclamation Surely loathsome and bitter the death!
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