Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 28:7
Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
7. that hath a familiar spirit ] Lit. “possessor of an Ob.” See on 1Sa 28:3, and cp. Act 16:16. Cp. Virg. Aen. VII. 312:
“Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.”
“If heaven bends not, I will stir hell beneath.”
En-dor ] = fountain of the dwelling, was on the northern slope of the Little Hermon ( Neby Dhy), where the village of Endr still marks the site. It was famous as the scene of Sisera’s defeat and death (Psa 83:10).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Enquire – A different word from that in 1Sa 28:6, though nearly synonymous with it. It is more frequently applied to inquiry of a false god, as e. g. 2Ki 1:2; Isa 8:19; Isa 19:3.
En-dor (see Jos 11:2 note) was seven or eight miles from the slopes of Gilboa, on the north of little Hermon, where the Philistines were encamped; so that Saul must have run great risks in going there.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Sa 28:7-25
Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit.
Saul and the witch of Endor
This narrative is unlike any other in the Bible, and therefore, as might have been expected, has received various explanations. Three of them may be briefly noticed:
(1) That Samuel himself appeared to the mistress of necromancy in Endor, and predicted to Saul his death on the morrow;
(2) That an evil spirit, or demon, personating Samuel, appeared to the woman and predicted to Saul his death.
(3) That the woman, being a ventriloquist, described such an apparition as the king would suppose to be that of Samuel, and then made her words seem to come from the place where the apparition was imagined to be.
1. In favour of the first interpretation may be urged the prima facie meaning of the narrative. For the sacred writer says that the woman saw Samuel (1Sa 28:12); that when she described the apparition seen by her Saul knew it was Samuel (1Sa 28:14); that the prophet reproached Saul for disquieting and bringing him up (1Sa 28:15); and that the prophet foretold the defeat of Israel and the death of Saul and his sons on the morrow (1Sa 28:19), both of which came to pass. These are strong reasons, and if they are set aside, it should be in view of others that are stronger. What, then, are some of the arguments against this explanation of the narrative? God had forbidden the practice of necromancy in Israel, and had commanded those who practised the same to be stoned (Lev 20:27; Deu 18:10-11). Again, Saul himself was acquainted with this law of Jehovah, and had attempted to execute it (verse 3-9). Still further, God had rejected the king, and had refused to answer him by any of the usual and appointed ways of making known his will (1Sa 28:6). And, besides, there is no indication in this narrative that Saul was now, at last, penitent, so that a message from God might be expected to control or benefit him. Certainly the refusal of God to answer Saul by dreams, by the Urim, or by the prophets, the wilful disobedience of the king in the act of consulting the women, and the close connection of Samuels appearance (if real) with the agency of this evil woman, are moral objections to this view of the passage. Moreover, it will scarcely be denied that the words, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? do not seem perfectly natural as the language of a true prophet coming back from the Unseen with a Divine message, while they do seem entirely natural as words spoken in behalf of a pretended apparition by the enchantress herself. Again, if the woman was really and greatly amazed by the apparition of Samuel, as she well might be if it was real, it is somewhat singular that she was so prudent and self-collected afterwards.
2. In favour of the second explanation, that an evil spirit, personating Samuel, appeared to the woman, and predicted to Saul his defeat and death on the morrow, we can say but little of a positive character. It is, however, free from some of the objections which lie against the first. For on this hypothesis God does not connect a revelation of the future through his own prophet with an act of desperate disobedience on the part of Saul, or with a practice so solemnly prohibited as necromancy. For all the parties concerned are given up to evil. That the devil, by the Divine permission, should be able to personate Samuel is not strange, since he can transform himself into an angel of light! Nor is it strange that he should be permitted do it upon this occasion, that Saul might be driven to despair, by enquiring of the devil, since he would not, in a right manner, inquire of the Lord, by which he might have had comfort. Had this been the true Samuel, he could not have foretold the event, unless God had revealed it to him; and, though it were an evil spirit, God might by him foretell it; as we read of an evil spirit that foresaw Ahabs fall at Ramoth-Gilead, and was instrumental in it.
3. In favour of the third explanation several things may be alleged.
1. The king was in a state of mind which would render deception on the part of the sorceress easy. He believed in necromancy, and in the testimony of his servants that this woman was a mistress of necromancy, he was also afraid and exceedingly anxious to obtain some clue to the future from the invisible world, especially by means of Samuel, whom he knew to be a prophet.
2. The woman of Endor was most likely to have known of the extraordinary stature of Saul, of the degeneracy of his character and fortunes, of the perilous condition of his army, and of the dress of Samuel in his old age.
3. With this knowledge she would have been tolerably sure to detect the person of Saul in spite of his disguise, and would have laid her plan of action accordingly.
4. It would have been easy for her as a ventriloquist to make the prostrate king suppose that her changed voice came from an unseen form at a slight remove from the place where she stood.
5. For Saul himself, it will be observed, did not see the alleged apparition of Samuel; he but inferred it from the womans description of what she professed to see rising out of the earth.
6. The womans animosity towards Saul, because of his putting away the necromancers and wizards out of the land may have led her to wish his death, and the circumstances in which he was now placed by the Philistines may have emboldened her to say what she did. But in declaring Sauls doom she was personating Samuel, and must therefore speak as he might have been expected to speak, reminding Saul of his past disobedience to God, of Gods displeasure with him on that account, of Gods giving the throne to David, and of the certain death which awaited Saul and his sons on the morrow.
7. The fulfilment of her words may have been partly due to the despair which they produced in the mind of Saul. At any rate, the fact of their fulfilment is not conclusive, in the circumstances, of their being a proper revelation beforehand of the purpose of God. (A. Hovey, D. D.)
Saul and the witch of Endor
At this period to which the text relates Saul was in great perplexity, owing to the want of someone through whom to obtain counsel from God. The affairs of Israel were at this time in a critical state. Their ancient adversaries, the Philistines, were mustering their forces. The moral degeneracy of Israel served to embolden the enemy. Let us now endeavour to point out some of the practical lessons which this remarkable narrative suggests.
1. The history forcibly teaches the solemn truth, that a mans day of grace is by no means invariably co-extensive with his life on earth. It is evident that at least for a time before Saul perished he was left to eat of the fruit of his own way, and to be filled with his own devices. The Spirit departed from him, and at the same time the Spirit of evil entered in and took full possession of him. After this there were no further means to be tried for his conversion. The king had outlived his time of opportunity, and God was departed from him. Sauls day of grace had then terminated; and, whilst you notice this, observe also the steps which led to this consummation: they were a progressive series of resistances offered to Gods Spirit–repeated acts of provocation, the repetition of refusals to hearken and to obey. There are numbers who are emboldened in a course of irreligion from the impression that it will be easy at some future time to turn and repent, and undergo the indispensable change, without which they cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. On this account it becomes more necessary to repeat the warning, that the season for turning to the Lord may pass away, never to return, even before the stroke of death ushers the soul to its everlasting portion.
2. Again, the history before us is instructive as pointing out what act it was on the part of Saul which challenged his final and immediate punishment. From the narrative it appears it was the sin of witchcraft. But the peculiarity lies in this, that it was a sin which Saul had professedly abandoned, and against which he had proclaimed open war. Can we err in concluding from hence that sin is then more especially hateful to God when practised by one who knows its nature and has once deliberately purposed to forsake it? To fall back to the indulgence of a sin which you have once resolved to renounce is a sure way to provoke the heavy displeasure of God.
3. The narrative is full of instruction as to the folly of expecting conversion by miracle when it is not effected by ordinary means. The reappearance of Samuel availed nothing for Sauls conversion. The reanimated Prophet could not guide the man who had abandoned the guidance of Gods own Spirit. Be not deceived to suppose that if unconverted by what God is doing for you now, you would be converted by any supernatural agency. Your conversion is possible now. It is the province of the Holy Ghost to effect it. Use the means you have. God will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask. (R. Bickersteth, D. D.)
The witch of Endor
1. Let me explain what the belief about this woman of Endor was. In popular speech we speak of her as the witch of Endor, but a more accurate description would be the Necromancer. Among all races and nations in the ancient world witchcraft, necromancy, and all their allied magic arts were believed in and practised. In all heathen religions there was a place for diviners, augurs, and magicians, who by their arts professed to tell what was the will of the gods in any special enterprise. Never did Greek or Roman army go forth to battle till the omens had been sought and found to be favourable. Sometimes the diviners would profess to find the answer they were seeking for in the appearances of Nature in sea, or earth, or sky, sometimes in visions of the night, sometimes in the creatures slain as sacrifices; sometimes in the mysteries of the grave, like this woman; sometimes by strange, weird incantations or by mysterious rites and enchantments. In one or other of these ways men believed they could get to know the Divine will.
2. The next point I would touch on is the question, What is the significance of this so widespread a belief in necromancy and magic? It is now held, I believe, that these arts represent the first attempts of men to have converse with the unseen world, the first blind gropings of the soul after God, the first rude efforts of mans spirit towards a religion. Just as the science of chemistry with its wonderful discoveries of the secret and subtle forces of Nature had its beginning in the dreams and visions and impossible ambitions of the alchemists; or just as astronomy, which reveals the sublime order of the heavenly bodies, had its origin in the baseless imaginings of astrology, so religion in human history began in the practice of these magic arts. What God demands in those who come to Him is not the power of magic, but mercy, truth, righteousness in the heart.
I. Sauls spiritual condition. First of all, it throws light on the spiritual condition of Saul. He sought the aid of this necromancer because he despaired of any message from God. It is in times of religious decay that superstition most flourishes. When men lose faith in a living God who loves righteousness they resort to magic and sorcery, and put their faith in outward ceremonies and rites. Spiritualism is a reversion to the first and lowest forms of religious inquiry. Science tells us that when a plant or animal reverts to its original type, it suffers degeneration. And the spiritualist is one who is ignoring all the worlds progress through ages of religious education, and is going back to the first, rude, low methods in which men sought communication with the Unseen.
II. A wilful imposture. The words in which the woman is described point to the means by which she might have carried out the imposture. Rendered literally, the words, a woman who had a familiar spirit, read, a woman a mistress of the Ob. And the word Ob denotes ventriloquism. No doubt the power of ventriloquism was believed to be supernatural, the gift of evil spirits. Then, for another thing, what the supposed ghost of the departed prophet revealed was in great part already well known to Saul, and may have been known to the woman. It needed no spirit from the grave to tell them. And as for the prediction of Sauls death on the morrow, there are those who contend that the word rendered tomorrow is of indefinite meaning denoting some time in the future. The prediction that Saul and his sons would some day be with Samuel in the world of shadows was a safe prediction, like many of the ancient oracles. But the chief objection is simply to the idea that any arts possessed by the necromancer should have had power to call forth the dead. It is sometimes assumed thaton this occasion God wrought a miracle through the woman in order to inform Saul of his fate. But this explanation is beset with insuperable difficulties. For according to it God would be doing just what He had refused to do. He would be answering Saul and satisfying his desire for a Divine communication. Again, it seems incredible that God should lend sanction to the pretensions of a necromancer when the practice of every such art was condemned under severest penalties by the Divine law. When we read the narrative in the light of these considerations, there is little difficulty in supposing that the whole thing was a wilful imposture practised on a wretched and despairing man. Keep clear thy faith in the Living God, the Righteous One and the Loving, and witchcraft and all other superstitions will be powerless over thee. But lose hold of God and you may drift into any dark and debasing belief. (J. Legge, M. A.)
Lessons from the incident at Endor
Solemn are the instructions to be gained from this incident.
1. We may have taken strong ground against some particular form of evil, we may have condemned it in others, and we may, thus far, have acted outwardly in consistency with Gods commands; but we may live to do the very thing which we have condemned, to break the very commands to which we have given an external homage. There may be motives for putting away one particular form of sin, the operation of which may yet co-exist with a spirit unwilling to yield to the fear of God, and unaffected by his love. It was not because Sauls heart was prepared to render allegiance to God that he put away witchcraft; but because he would affect an outward regard for religion, or because he wished to avenge his mental disquietude on those whom he deemed its cause, or because he was in daily fear of some further mischief from them. The operation of these motives, and their result, still left him a rebel, prepared at any time, when the will of God crossed his own purpose, to resist the commands of the Almighty. And wherever the spirit of opposition to the Divine will is permitted, there is no security against its indulgence in any particular form; and if circumstances arise to make it convenient, it may develop itself in the identical manifestation which, in a previous stage of our history, we have been most ardent and loud in condemning. Let us be assured that no outward reformations are to be depended on, which do not issue from that radical change of which the Holy Spirit is the author, and in which the whole heart is yielded up to God.
2. We notice bow certainly a man loses his own dignity in proportion as he recedes from the principle of obedience to God, and yields to the guidance of his own heart. What term so aptly describes the condition of the king of Israel in the witchs abode at Endor, as that of degradation–deep, thorough degradation. Be it ours to take warning. No station in life, however exalted–no position, however respectable–no claims on the regard of society, however strong–can stand against the degrading influence of indulged sin.
3. We are taught that mercies abused and privileges slighted may be desired when they have been withdrawn, and when, in Gods providential arrangements, they are no longer within our reach. While Samuel lived, his counsel was treated with contempt; but when he could no longer be consulted, then the very man who grieved him most was most anxious to have him back at any cost. Let the sad spectacle awaken inquiry, How are you employing present mercies? (J. A. Miller.)
The religion of ghosts
I. I learn first from this subject that spiritualism is a very old religion. What does God think of all these delusions? He thinks so severely of them that he never speaks of them but with livid thunders of indignation. He says: I will be a swift witness against the sorcerer. He says: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. And lest you might make some important distinction between Spiritualism and witchcraft, God says, in so many words: There shall not be among you a consulter of familiar spirits, or wizard, or necromancer; for they that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord.
II. Still further: we learn from this text now it is that people come to fall into spiritualism. Saul had enough trouble to kill ten men. He did not know where to go for relief. After awhile he resolved to go and see the witch of Endor. It was his trouble that drove him there. And I have to tell you now that, spiritualism finds its victims in the troubled, the bankrupt, the sick, the bereft.
III. I learn still farther from this subject, that spiritualism and necromancy are affairs of the darkness. Why did not Saul go in the day? He was ashamed to go. Besides that he knew that this spiritual medium, like all her successors, performed her exploits in the night.
IV. Still further, that spiritualism is doom and death to its disciples. King Saul thought that he would get help from the medium; but the first thing that he sees makes him swoon away, and no sooner is he resuscitated than he is told he must die. Spiritualism is doom and death to everyone that yields to. It ruins the body. Spiritualism smites first of all, and mightily, against the nervous system, and so makes life miserable.
V. I indict spiritualism also, because it is a social and marital curse. The worst deeds of licentiousness and the worst orgies of obscenity have been enacted under its patronage.
VI. I further indict spiritualism for the fact that it is the cause of much insanity.
VII. I bring against this delusion a more fearful indictment: it ruins the soul immortal. The whole system, as I conceive it, is founded on the insufficiency of the Word of God as a revelation. God says the Bible is enough for you to know about the future world. God has told you all you ought to know, and how dare you be prying into that which is none of your business? You cannot keep the Bible in one hand and spiritualism in the other. One or the other will slip out of your grasp, depend upon it. (T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.)
Saul at Endor
The worlds are nearer together than we think! What is there in reason, in the fitness of things, or in Scripture itself, to forbid the idea that we are surrounded by spiritual existences? What is thy universe, O man? Thou makest thine own creation. The pathetic incident shows:–
I. The rapidity with which a man may fall from the highest eminence. Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. There is but a step between thee and death!
II. The awful possibility of being cut off from spiritual communication with the Divine and invisible. God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams.
III. The certainty that one day the impenitent will want their old teachers. Bring me up Samuel. I have called thee that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do. The solemn lesson of the whole is–Seek ye the Lord while He may be found! (J. Parker, D. D.)
Spiritualism a folly
To meddle with the walls of separation that God has built is a wrong and sinful thing. We have no business but in our own world. This dabbling in spiritualism and communication with the departed is nothing more than folly. It is unlawful, and has all the consequences of a broken law. There was an old Scotch body, who was sitting by the deathbed of her only son. Trying to comfort the grieving mother, the dying boy said: Mother, if so be its permitted, Ill come from the dead to see thee. Na, us, lad, she exclaimed; keep to your sin side. It was a wise injunction. Keep to your own side. (J. Robertson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit] Literally, Seek me a woman, baalath ob, the mistress of the Ob or Pythonic spirit – one who had a familiar spirit, whom she could invoke when she pleased, and receive answers from him relative to futurity.
Strange that a man, who had banished all such from the land, as dangerous to the state, as impostors and deceivers, should now have recourse to them as the only persons in whom he could safely put his confidence in the time in which Jehovah had refused to help him!
At En-dor.] This was a city in the valley of Jezreel, at the foot of Mount Gilboa, where the army of Saul had now encamped.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Seek me a woman, rather than a man; for he thought that sex most likely to be given to those wicked arts, as being the weaker sex, and so aptest to be deceived, and most prone to superstition, and ofttimes most malicious and revengeful. That hath a familiar spirit; one that converseth with the devil, and dead mens ghosts, and by them can discover future things. See Isa 8:19.
His servants said to him; instead of dissuading him from this wicked and destructive practice, which they should and would have done, if they had either loved God or their king, they further him in it.
En-dor; a place in the tribe of Manasseh, within Jordan, not very fir from the place where the armies were encamped.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7, 8. Then said Saul unto hisservants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spiritFrom theenergetic measures which he himself had taken for extirpating thedealers in magical arts (the profession having been declared acapital offense), his most attached courtiers might have had reasonto doubt the possibility of gratifying their master’s wish. Anxiousinquiries, however, led to the discovery of a woman living verysecluded in the neighborhood, who had the credit of possessing theforbidden powers. To her house he repaired by night in disguise,accompanied by two faithful servants.
En-dor“thefountain of the circle” (that figure being constantly affectedby magicians) was situated directly on the other side of the Gilboarange, opposite Tabor; so that, in this midnight adventure, Saul hadto pass over the shoulder of the ridge on which the Philistines wereencamped.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then said Saul unto his servants,…. That waited upon him, to some of them, to such as he could place most confidence in to keep a secret; perhaps only the two after mentioned:
seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her; that was mistress of the bottle, a ventriloquist, that spoke out of her belly, or seemed to do; who had the spirit of Python or divination, conversed with the devil, and by his assistance pretended to bring up a dead person, and thereby foretell things to come; [See comments on De 18:11]; a woman is pitched upon, because such were most addicted to those wicked arts, and being of the weaker sex, were more easily imposed upon by Satan; and Saul showed himself to be as weak, to seek after such persons; but being left of God, he acted the part of a mad man, as well as of a bad man:
and his servants said to him, behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor; a city in the tribe of Manasseh, of which see
Jos 17:11; it was not far from Gilboa. Mr. Maundrell speaks c of it as near Nain, at the foot of Mount Hermon; and turning, a little southward, he says, you have in view the high mountains of Gilboa. It is a tradition of the Jews d that this woman was the mother of Abner, the wife of Zephaniah; some say her name was Zephaniah; but, as Abarbinel observes, if so she would have known Saul, and also Saul would have known her, and what she was, if, as they say, she was spared because of her relation to him; nor needed he to have inquired of his servants for such a woman.
c Journey from Aleppo, p. 115. d Pirke Eliezer, c. 33. foi. 35. 2. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 1. Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 77. B.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Saul Consults the Witch at Endor. | B. C. 1055. |
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. 9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? 10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. 11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. 14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
Here, I. Saul seeks for a witch, v. 7. When God answered him not, if he had humbled himself by repentance and persevered in seeking God, who knows but that at length he might have been entreated for him? but, since he can discern no comfort either from heaven or earth (Isa 8:21; Isa 8:22), he resolves to knock at the gates of hell, and to see if any there will befriend him and give him advice: Seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, v. 7. And his servants were too officious to serve him in this evil affair; they presently recommended one to him at Endor (a city not far off) who had escaped the execution of Saul’s edict. To her he resolves to apply. Herein he is chargeable, 1. With contempt of the God of Israel; as if any creature could do him a kindness when God had left him and frowned upon him. 2. With contradiction to himself. He knew the heinousness of the sin of witchcraft, else he would not have cut off those that had familiar spirits; yet now he had recourse to that as an oracle which he had before condemned as an abomination. It is common for men to inveigh severely against those sins which they are in no temptation to, but afterwards to be themselves overcome by them. Had one told Saul, when he was destroying the witches, that he himself would, ere long, consult with one, he would have said, as Hazael did, What? Is thy servant a dog? But who knows what mischiefs those will run into that forsake God and are forsaken of him?
II. Hearing of one he hastens to her, but goes by night, and in disguise, only with two servants, and probably on foot, v. 8. See how those that are led captive by Satan are forced, 1. To disparage themselves. Never did Saul look so mean as when he went sneaking to a sorry witch to know his fortune. 2. To dissemble. Evil works are works of darkness, and they hate the light, neither care for coming to it. Saul went to the witch, not in his robes, but in the habit of a common soldier, not only lest the witch herself, if she had known him, should decline to serve him, either fearing he came to trepan her or resolving to be avenged on him for his edict against those of her profession, but lest his own people should know it and abhor him for it. Such is the power of natural conscience that even those who do evil blush and are ashamed to do it.
III. He tells her his errand and promises her impunity. 1. All he desires of her is to bring up one from the dead, whom he had a mind to discourse with. It was necromancy or divination by the dead, that he hoped to serve his purpose by. This was expressly forbidden by the law (Deut. xviii. 11), seeking for the living to the dead, Isa. viii. 19. Bring me up him whom I shall name, v. 8. This supposes that it was generally taken for granted that souls exist after death, and that when men die there is not an end of them: it supposes too that great knowledge was attributed to separate souls. But to think that any good souls would come up at the beck of an evil spirit, or that God, who had denied a man the benefit of his own institutions, would suffer him to reap any real advantage by a cursed diabolical invention, was very absurd. 2. She signifies her fear of the law, and her suspicion that this stranger came to draw her into a snare (v. 9): Thou knowest what Saul has done. Providence ordered it so that Saul should be told to his face of his edict against witches, at this very time when he was consulting one, for the greater aggravation of his sin. She insists upon the peril of the law, perhaps to raise her price; for, though no mention is made of her fee, no doubt she demanded and had a large one. Observe how sensible she is of danger from the edict of Saul, and what care she is in to guard against it; but not at all apprehensive of the obligations off God’s law and the terrors of his wrath. She considered what Saul had done, not what God had done, against such practices, and feared a snare laid for her life more than a snare laid for her soul. It is common for sinners to be more afraid of punishment from men than of God’s righteous judgment. But, 3. Saul promises with an oath not to betray her, v. 10. It was his duty as a king to punish her and he knew it, yet he swears no to do it; as if he could by his own oath bind himself from doing that which, by the divine command, he was bound to do. But he promised more than he could perform when he said, There shall no punishment happen to thee; for he that could not secure himself could much less secure her from divine vengeance.
IV. Samuel, who was lately dead, is the person whom Saul desired to have some talk with; and the witch, with her enchantments, gratifies his desire, and brings them together. 1. As soon as Saul had given the witch the assurance she desired (that he would not discover her) she applied to her witchcrafts, and asked very confidently, Whom shall I bring up to thee? v. 11. Note, Hopes of impunity embolden sinners in their evil ways and harden their hearts. 2. Saul desires to speak with Samuel: Bring me up Samuel. Samuel had anointed him to the kingdom and had formerly been his faithful friend and counsellor, and therefore with him he wished to advise. While Samuel was living at Ramah, not far from Gibeah of Saul, and presided there in the school of the prophets, we never read of Saul’s going to him to consult him in any of the difficulties he was in (it would have been well for him if he had); then he slighted him, and perhaps hated him, looking upon him to be in David’s interest. But now that he is dead, “O for Samuel again! By all means, bring me up Samuel.” Note, Many that despise and persecute God’s saints and ministers when they are living would be glad to have them again when they are gone. Send Lazarus to me, and send Lazarus to my father’s house, Luke xvi. 24-27. The sepulchres of the righteous are garnished. 3. Here is a seeming defector chasm in the story. Saul said, Bring me up Samuel, and the very next words are, When the woman saw Samuel, (v. 12), whereas one would have expected to be told how she performed the operation, what spells and charms she used, or that some little intimation would be given of what she said or did; but the profound silence of the scripture concerning it forbids our coveting to know the depths of Satan (Rev. ii. 24) or to have our curiosity gratified with an account of the mysteries of iniquity. It has been said of the books of some of the popish confessors that, by their descriptions of sin, they have taught men to commit it; but the scripture conceals sinful art, that we may be simple concerning evil, Rom. xvi. 19. 4. The witch, upon sight of the apparition, was aware that her client was Saul, her familiar spirit, it is likely, informing her of it (v. 12): “Why hast thou deceived me with a disguise; for thou art Saul, the very man that I am afraid of above any man?” Thus she gave Saul to understand the power of her art, in that she could discover him through his disguise; and yet she feared lest, hereafter, at least, he should take advantage against her for what she was now doing. Had she believed that it was really Samuel whom she saw, she would have had more reason to be afraid of him, who was a good prophet, than of Saul, who was a wicked king. But the wrath of earthly princes is feared by most more than the wrath of the King of kings. 5. Saul (who, we may suppose, was kept at a distance in the next room) bade her not to be afraid of him, but go on with the operation, and enquired what she saw? v. 13. O, says the woman, I saw gods (that is, a spirit) ascending out of the earth; they called angels gods, because spiritual beings. Poor gods that ascend out of the earth! But she speaks the language of the heathen, who had their infernal deities and had them in veneration. If Saul had thought it necessary to his conversation with Samuel that the body of Samuel should be called out of the grave, he would have taken the witch with him to Ramah, where his sepulchre was; but the design was wholly upon his soul, which yet, if it became visible, was expected to appear in the usual resemblance of the body; and God permitted the devil, to answer the design, to put on Samuel’s shape, that those who would not receive the love of the truth might be given up to strong delusions and believe a lie. That it could not be the soul of Samuel himself they might easily apprehend when it ascended out of the earth, for the spirit of a man, much more of a good man, goes upward, Eccl. iii. 21. But, if people will be deceived, it is just with God to say, “Let them be deceived.” That the devil, by the divine permission, should be able to personate Samuel is not strange, since he can transform himself into an angel of light! nor is it strange that he should be permitted to do it upon this occasion, that Saul might be driven to despair, by enquiring of the devil, since he would not, in a right manner, enquire of the Lord, by which he might have had comfort. Saul, being told of gods ascending, was eager to know what was the form of this deity, and in what shape he appeared, so far was he from conceiving any horror at it, his heart being wretchedly hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Saul, it seems, was not permitted to see any manner of similitude himself, but he must take the woman’s word for it, that she saw an old man covered with a mantle, or robe, the habit of a judge, which Samuel had sometimes worn, and some think it was for the sake of that, and the majesty of its aspect, that she called this apparition Elohim, a god or gods; for so magistrates are styled, Ps. lxxxii. 1. 6. Saul, perceiving, by the woman’s description, that it was Samuel, stooped with his face to the ground, either, as it is generally taken, in reverence to Samuel, though he saw him not, or perhaps to listen to that soft and muttering voice which he now expected to hear (for those that had familiar spirits peeped and muttered, Isa. viii. 19); and it should seem Saul bowed himself (probably by the witch’s direction) that he might hear what was whispered and listen carefully to it; for the voice of one that has a familiar spirit is said to come out of the ground, and whisper out of the dust, Isa. xxix. 4. He would stoop to that who would not stoop to the word of God.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Sauls Fourth Major Error, vs. 7-14
In his desperation to know the outcome of his predicament Saul determined to seek out a medium, here called a woman with a familiar spirit, or a witch. This presented a problem inasmuch as he himself had sought to destroy such. The servants knew of such a woman living at En-don. This town was not far from Gilboa, where Saul had gathered the men of Israel to oppose the Philistine invasion. Gilboa was a small mountain near the headwaters of the river Kishon and lying south of the valley of Jezreel. Shunem, where the Philistine army was gathering was slightly northwest across the valley from Gilboa, and En-dor was a very few miles north of the Philistine camp.
Saul disguised himself and took two men to go and inquire of the woman. There may have been a twofold purpose in the disguise. First, the woman had kept out of sight lest she be apprehended by Saul and put to death and would certainly not be amenable to helping him. Second, the king must pass close by the Philistine army which would exert great effort to take him if the knew he was in the area. The three men also went by night for greater safety and to further allay any suspicions the witch might have of them..
Saul asked the witch woman to divine for him, or to set a seance for him. She was very reluctant and cited the sentence of death against her by Saul. Should she consent to do this she might fall into a trap and lose her life. Consequently Saul swore to her by the Lord that it was no trap and that no harm would come to her. Thus she agreed, and inquired whom Saul wished her to call from the dead. He told her to bring Samuel to him.
It is not possible to know what the woman expected to produce by her witchcraft, but it seems apparent that what she saw was not what she was accustomed to. She cried out with a loud voice, the Scriptures say, “when she saw Samuel.” Something about her vision caused her to know it was Saul with whom she was dealing, and this also upset her. She suspected him of deceit, but he reassured her that she had nothing to fear and anxiously inquired what she had seen. It is thus evident that whatever vision of the other world the witch received it was privy to her and unseen by Saul and his comrades.
The woman first told Saul she saw `gods ascending out of the earth.” The Hebrew word elohim, usually translated “God” is here rendered “gods”, and in some other versions is rendered “spirit”, or “divine being.” It is evident that the woman was not sure what she saw and surely did not think she was seeing God Himself. Saul, however, was fully expecting Samuel to appear and inquired of what form the apparition was which she said she saw. Then the witch took her cue from this and described it as having the form of an old man with a mantle covering his head.
This was what Saul was expecting her to see and immediately “perceived that it was Samuel.” This means that Saul understood from her description that it was Samuel she had seen, not that he actually knew it was Samuel. Therefore he fell down on his face and bowed in his presence to hear what he might tell him.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Saul Seeks the Witch of En-dor. 1Sa. 28:7-14
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
7.
Why did Saul go to the witch of En-dor? 1Sa. 28:7
The Philistines had collected their forces in the plain near Shunem. Sauls army was encamped on the slopes of Mt. Gilboa, some two miles away but plainly within sight of the enemy. The very sight of the enemy had thrown Saul into dread terror. He was greatly anxious about the outcome of the battle and inquired of the Lord what might be the results of the coming conflict. The Lord had left Saul as He had withdrawn His spirit from Samson during the time of the Judges; and He did not answer Saul, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Instead of repenting and humbling himself before Jehovah, Saul plunged stubbornly forward in an attempt of his own invention to find the verdict of the future. When living prophets gave no answer, he thought that a dead one might be called up, as if a dead one were less dependent upon God than the living, or that, even in opposition to the will of God, he might reply through the arts of a conjuring woman. Truly, if he perceived that God was hostile to him, he ought to have been all the more afraid, lest his enmity should be increased by his breach of His laws. But fear and superstition never reason.
8.
Where is En-dor? 1Sa. 28:7 b
En-dor still exists in a village under the ancient name on the Shoulder of Duhy or Little Hermon about two miles from Sauls camp. Saul must have made a pitiable sight as he disguised himself and left the security of his camp to go down into the valley to find the home of the outlawed witch. Perhaps he had to slip along through the night past the Philistine outposts in order to reach this eerie home. His ill-fated journey is a sad commentary on the lot of a man who disobeys God.
9.
Why did Saul disguise himself? 1Sa. 28:8
Saul would not want to be recognized by any Philistine scout whom he might meet. Most of all he knew that the woman would not practice her illegal art if she recognized him as king. He must have been ashamed to wear his kingly robes and make such a pitiable request of a spiritualist. His disguise would not be able to hide his stature, however; and this outstanding feature of Sauls person may have helped the witch to unmask Saul when Samuel did come back from the grave.
10.
Why had witches been banned? 1Sa. 28:9
When Israel came into the promised land, they were not to learn to do like the abominations of these nations. There was not to be found in the land any who caused his son or his daughter to pass through the fire (in other words, a worshipper of Moloch). Neither were there to be any who practiced sooth-saying, or a wizard, or a snake-charmer, or a conjurer, or one who pronounced a ban, a necromancer and wise man, or one who asked the dead to be brought up. Moses was given this in the Law, and he grouped all the words which the language contained for the different modes of exploring the future and discovering the will of God, for the purpose of forbidding every description of soothsaying. At the head of the list was placed the prohibition of Moloch-worship, to show the connection between soothsaying and idolatry. Saul had acted in accordance with Gods law when he banned all these from the kingdom (See Num. 23:23 and Deu. 18:9 ff.).
11.
Why was the woman suspicious? 1Sa. 28:9
The witch of En-dor was afraid that her visitor was laying a snare for her. She was afraid that she would be reported to the king and eventually be killed. She knew that the Law said, thou shalt not suffer a witch to live (Exo. 22:18). She knew that God had ordained that there should not be found among the Israelites any that use divination or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or an necromancer (Deu. 18:10-11). She had to be cautious in order to practice her illicit profession. When Saul gave her his word that she would not be punished, she was willing to go ahead.
12.
Did Samuel appear to the witch? 1Sa. 28:12
The early Christian writers, the Protestant reformers, and many later Christian theologians assumed that there was no real appearance of Samuel, but only an imaginary one. More lately the opinion has been expressed that the apparition of Samuel was merely a delusion produced by the witch without any background at all. More recently orthodox commentators have been almost unanimous in the opinion that the departed prophet did really appear and announce the destruction; not, however, in consequence of the magical arts of the witch, but through a miracle wrought by the omnipotence of God. This is favored by the narrator who speaks throughout of the appearance not of a ghost, but of Samuel himself. It is also sustained by the circumstance, that not only do the words of Samuel to Saul create the impression that it is Samuel himself who is speaking, but his announcement contains so distinct a prophecy of the death of Saul and his sons, that it is impossible to imagine it can have proceeded from the mouth of an imposter, or have come from Satan.
13.
How did the witch recognize Saul? 1Sa. 28:12
The woman must have concluded that she was in the presence of Saul because he had asked to have a seance with Samuel. Samuel and Saul had been rather closely associated in the political and religious activities of the kingdom of Israel. The woman must have known about Samuels death and Sauls desperate effort to find out the will of God. The very fact that Saul had asked for Samuel to be brought back from the dead probably raised a question in the womans mind from the very beginning of the interview. As Samuel was raised from the dead by the power of God and the woman was frightened by this miraculous event, she undoubtedly was then not afraid to express her conviction. Sauls stature would have been a feature that he could not disguise. There was none other in Israel as tall as he. He stood head and shoulders above all the others. This imposing stature coupled with the strange request for Samuels being brought back from the dead would have convinced the woman of the identity of her strange visitor.
14.
In what form did Samuel appear? 1Sa. 28:14
Samuels appearance is not to be regarded as the appearance of one who had risen in a glorified body; but though somewhat spirit-like in its external manifestation, so that it was only to the witch that he was visible, and not to Saul. It was merely an appearance of the soul of Samuel, which had been at rest, in the clothing of the earthly body and dress of the prophet, which were assumed for the purpose of rendering it visible. In this respect, the appearance of Samuel, rather resembled the appearances of the angels in human form and dress, such as the three angels who came to Abraham in the grove at Mamre, and the angel who appeared to Manoah, with this exception, however, that these angels manifested themselves in a human form, which was visible to the ordinary bodily eye, whereas Samuel appeared in a spirit-like form. In all these cases the bodily form and clothing were only a dress assumed for the soul or spirit, and intended to facilitate perception, so that such appearances furnish no proof that the souls of departed men possess material corporeality.
15.
How did Saul know that it was Samuel? 1Sa. 28:14
The apparition was clothed in the prophets mantle such as Samuel was accustomed to wearing. Saul asked the woman to describe the apparition and she said that it was an old man. Samuel had died after several years of work among the people of Israel. Since Saul had asked for Samuel in the first place, he must have realized that God had granted his request.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(7) Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit.He was left alone to himself, and now the last spark of life, the religious zeal which he had once shown even to excess, then also vanished; or, rather. as must always be the case when it has thus swerved from the moral principle which alone can guide it, was turned into a wild and desperate superstition. The wizards and familiar spirits, whom in a fit of righteous indignation he had put out of the land, now became his only resource
Flectere si nequeo supcros, Acheronte movebo.
STANLEY: Jewish Church, vol. ii., Lect. 21
Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.One of these women, mistress or possessor of an b, or familiar spirit, who apparently was well known, dwelt at or was left at Endor. East of Nain is a village of mud-huts, with hedges of prickly pear. This is En-dor, famous in connection with the tragic history of the death of Saul. The adventurous character of Sauls night journey is very striking, when we consider that for the king to get to En-dor he had to pass the hostile camp, and would probably creep round the eastern shoulder of the hill hidden by the undulations of the ground.Conder: Tent Life in Palestine. The distance from the camp of Israel on Gilboa to En-dor was about ten miles further, owing perhaps to the circuit they would have to make round the camp of the Philistines. Jewish tradition speaks of the two men who accompanied Saul as Abner and Amasa, and further mentions that the witch of En-dor was the mother of the great Abner. If this be true, it would account for her having escaped the general pursuit after witches mentioned above in the early days of Saul.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit He finds that God has utterly forsaken him, and with full purpose and that impulsive rashness which was ever his easily besetting sin, he rushes into still greater evil. Swept down by the raging cataract of accumulating woes, he still, like a drowning man, grasps at a straw. What wonder that God allowed him to be imposed upon by the arts of necromancy!
Endor This place lay about three miles south of mount Tabor, and about seven northeast of Shunem, so that to reach it from the heights of Gilboa, Saul and his two men must have partly compassed the Philistine encampment. They probably passed down the northeastern slope of Gilboa to the valley of the modern Jalud, and thence northward, along the eastern slope of the Little Hermon. See note on 1Sa 28:25. The village is overhung by a mountain declivity which is full of caverns, and it is probable that in one of these the witch concealed herself.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 28:7-12. Then said SaulSeek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit Utterly forsaken of God, yet anxiously desirous of searching into futurity, Saul, who had prayed to God to no purpose, now resolved to apply himself to Samuel. To what will not fear and folly force us? In the days of his devotion, Saul had partly cut off, and partly frighted away, those wizards and sorcerers, those execrable wretches, the pests of society and enemies of true religion, whom God commanded to be extirpated. See Lev 20:27. Deu 18:10. However, some of them, he concluded, might have remained or returned. He enquired, and was informed [princes never want ministers of mischief] of a Pythoness, who dwelt not far off, at En-dor, a little village of the tribe of Manasseh, in the valley of Jezreel, at the foot of mount Gilboa. He accordingly hasted that very night to En-dor, stripped off his regal apparel, disguising himself as well as he could, and attended only by two companions. When he arrived, he prayed the woman to divine by her familiar spirit, that is, to employ her art, in evoking from the dead the person whom he should name; at the same time assuring her, by a solemn oath, that no evil should happen to her, on account of what she mentions in the 9th verse. The woman then demands whom he would have raised: he answers, Samuel. The woman, no doubt, was then about to proceed to her charms and incantations. But, contrary to all her expectation, the moment Saul had mentioned the name of Samuel, the woman saw an appearance, and in great terror cried out to Saul, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. Our translators have inserted the particle when in the 12th verse, which embarrasses the sense, and implies, that some space of time had passed between Saul’s request, and the appearance of Samuel: whereas the original text stands thus, When Saul said, bring me up Saumel, then immediately follows, and the woman saw Samuel, and cried, &c. She saw an apparition that she did not expect; she knew the prophet; she knew the veneration that Saul had for him; and she knew that her art had never exhibited a person of that figure to her. Various have been the opinions concerning this apparition of Samuel. From the manner in which we have interpreted these verses, and which seems to be just, there appears no doubt that this was a real apparition of Samuel, sent by the immediate intervention of God: for one cannot suppose, either that it was a trick put upon Saul by this sorceress, or that it was a demon which thus assumed the form of Samuel.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(7) Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
Observe, that Saul, in his distress, enquired of the Lord, but the Lord answered him not. But how did he enquire? Samuel was dead. The Priests, the faithful Priests of the Lord, Saul had killed. See 1Sa 22:17-19 . By whom then did he enquire? Perhaps presumptuously, without either Prophet or Priest. But if not; it is evident that Saul’s enquiry was not in the way God had appointed, neither was his heart prepared to enquire, as appears by the sequel. For when the Lord did not immediately answer; from God, Saul turned to the devil. Alas! what answer can men expect, when like Saul, they seek not God in faith, but are in league with the unfruitful works of darkness?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 28:7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
Ver. 7. Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit. ] One Rufus I read of, who painted upon his shield, God on the one side, and the devil on the other, with this inscription, Si tu me nolis, iste rogitat, If thou refuse me, here is another that will be glad of me. a Saul seemeth to be like-minded.
“ Flectere cure nequeat superos, Acheronta movebit. ” – Virg.
So Oedipus in Seneca, when he could not get an answer at the oracles, made use of necromancy. This great sin Saul added to all his former, and so became miserable by his own election. Jon 2:8 The like is recorded of Julian the apostate.
Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit.
a Animi impii vox. – Piscat.
b Lib. 6.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a woman. Answering to the modern “mediums”.
hath = owneth, possesses as mistress. See note on Lev 19:31.
enquire = seek out. Hebrew. darash, a deeper meaning than 1Sa 28:6. See note above. Compare 1Ch 10:13, 1Ch 10:14.
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Seek me: 2Ki 1:2, 2Ki 1:3, 2Ki 6:33, Isa 8:19, Isa 8:20, Lam 3:25, Lam 3:26, Hab 2:3
a familiar spirit: 1Sa 28:3, Deu 18:11, Isa 19:3, Act 16:16
that I may: Lev 19:31, 1Ch 10:13, Isa 8:19
Endor: En-dor, a city of Manasseh, was situated in the plain of Jezreel; and Eusebius and Jerome inform us, that it was a great town in their days, four miles south from Mount Tabor, near Nain, towards Scythopolis. This agrees with Maundrell, who says, that not many miles eastward of Tabor, you see mount Hermon, at the foot of which is seated Nain and Endor; and Burckhardt says, that in two hours and a half from Nazareth, towards Scythopolis or Bisan, they came to the village of Denouny, near which are the ruins of Endor; where the witch’s grotto is shewn. Jos 17:11, Psa 83:10
Reciprocal: Lev 20:27 – a familiar Deu 18:10 – that useth divination Act 19:19 – used
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 28:7. Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit That converses with evil spirits, or hath power to call up, or make to appear, the spirits of dead persons, in order to answer questions, or give information of what may be inquired of them: see on Deu 18:10-11. Saul mentions a woman rather than a man, because the weaker sex were most addicted to these practices. In this he acted like a distracted man, who now approved what he had before condemned. He had partly cut off, and partly frighted away wizards, sorcerers, and such as had, or professed to have, these familiar spirits, and now he seeks unto them! What will not fear and folly force men to! How such a practice as this came to be used at first, and on what pretence, we cannot now say; but it appears to have been very ancient, because we find express laws against it in the books of Moses. It is probable it had its rise in Egypt, where an over-strained search after, and pretence to knowledge, made many fall into the strangest absurdities and impieties that ever entered into the human heart. And in all likelihood, not only the Israelites, but the heathen, who, we find, in general used this practice, were first infected with it from thence. In all probability, those who pretended to this power were generally impostors, who only deceived those who consulted them by delusive tricks; yet we may draw this important conclusion from it, that it has always been a prevailing notion among all people, that the soul of man still subsists in another state after the body is dead; for this practice evidently supposes, and indeed was built on this belief.