How the Prophet Samuel Hewed King Agag to Pieces

"And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces" (1 Samuel 15:33). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He began to cut his flesh into olive-sized pieces and fed them to the ostriches. This is what is written, "It shall devour the limbs of his skin, the firstborn of death shall devour his limbs" (Job 18:13) — he gave him a bitter death as a firstborn portion. And the Rabbis say: They set him upon four stakes and stretched him over them, and he was saying, "Surely the bitterness of death" (1 Samuel 15:32) — thus do they put princes to death with severe deaths. Rabbi Yitzchak said: He castrated him, [as it is written,] "As your sword has bereaved women, so shall your mother be bereaved among women" (1 Samuel 15:33). Rabbi Levi said: Moses too hinted this to Israel in the Torah. This is what is written, "When men strive together with one another" (Deuteronomy 25:11), and what is written after it: "then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall not pity" (Deuteronomy 25:12).