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How did Saul fail to carry out the ban against the Amalekites?

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Samuel Samuel anointing David as king, stained-glass window by Charles Blakeman, 1953–56; in St. Etheldreda's Church, London.

In the biblical account, King Saul failed to carry out the herem, or holy war ban, against the Amalekites by failing to destroy everything as commanded.1

Specifically, Saul spared the Amalekite king, Agag, and preserved the best of the sheep and cattle, claiming he intended to use the livestock for a sacrifice. The prophet Samuel condemned this act of disobedience, famously declaring that "to obey is better than to sacrifice," and subsequently executed Agag himself. This failure to fully execute the ban resulted in Samuel informing Saul that he had been rejected by God as king.1