Saul's excuse for his disobedience was: He saved the sheep and oxen to feed the nation of Israel. The people spared the sheep and oxen to give as a sacrifice to the Lord. He didn't hear Samuel's instructions to completely destroy the Amalekites. He wanted to show mercy to Agag, the king of the Amalekites.

Saul's excuses for his disobedience are mentioned in the biblical text of 1 Samuel 15. According to the account, Saul was commanded by God, through the prophet Samuel, to completely destroy the Amalekites and everything they had, including animals, as punishment for the way they had treated Israel when it came out of Egypt. However, Saul disobeyed this command in several ways:

1. He saved the best of the sheep and oxen, and other livestock, under the pretext of wanting to sacrifice them to the Lord. This was directly against the command to destroy all the Amalekites' possessions.

2. The text implies that the people had a role in sparing the animals, but as the king, Saul was responsible for the actions of his subjects. He tries to shift the blame onto them, rather than accepting full responsibility himself.

3. Saul claims he didn't fully grasp Samuel's instructions, which is questionable since his actions show a clear selective hearing - destroying what was worthless and keeping what was valuable.

4. He also showed mercy to Agag, the king of the Amalekites, by taking him prisoner instead of killing him, which was again contrary to the command he had been given.

In essence, Saul tried to justify his disobedience with seemingly reasonable explanations, but fundamentally, he failed to follow the clear instructions he had received, which led to his rejection as king by Samuel and God.

Extra: The story of Saul and the Amalekites is an important one in the context of the Hebrew Bible, as it illustrates the theme of obedience to divine commands. It is a moral lesson on the importance of following instructions, especially when those instructions are believed to be divinely ordered. In the biblical narrative, Saul's disobedience leads to his downfall and serves as a cautionary tale that partial obedience or disobedience based on personal judgment, when full compliance is expected, can have severe consequences.

This story also introduces the notion of the leader's accountability: Saul, as the king, could not pass the blame onto his subjects as he was ultimately responsible for the nation's actions. It highlights the challenging aspects of leadership and the expectation of leaders to set an example for their people. The story can also lead to discussions about ethical dilemmas faced by leaders and the complex relationship between morality, divine commands, and human interpretation.