1 Samuel 28
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Samuel 28
NJB (MT versing) Saul and the Spirit Medium David Allied with the Philistines Saul Consults the Spirit of Samuel through the Medium of Endor David Among the Philistines The Philistines Go to War with Israel 27:1-28:2 27:1-28:2 28:1-2 Saul Consults A Medium 28:1-2 Saul Consults A Medium 28:1-2 Saul and the Witch of En-Dor 28:3-7 28:3-14 28:3-7 28:3-7 28:3 28:4-7 28:8-14 28:8-14 28:8 28:8-11 28:9 28:10 28:11 28:12 28:12-14 28:13 28:14 28:15-19 28:15-19 28:15-19 28:15a-b 28:15-19 28:15c-d 28:16-19 28:20-25 28:20-25 28:20-25 28:20-22 28:20-25 28:23-25 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS There were several culturally expected ways for God to give direction. dreams, vv. 6,15 Urim (i.e., ephod of the High Priest), v. 6; see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 329-330 prophets, vv. 6,15 mediums, spiritists, vv. 3,7; see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 303-304 Saul had cut himself off from YHWH by his disobedience (v. 18), now YHWH had cut him off. Samuel the chief prophet of this period ‒ dead High Priest fled to David after Saul had the priests at Nob killed Saul himself had banned all spiritists and mediums (v. 3) Saul was very afraid (cf. vv. 5,15,20,21), but in the following chapters he still acted on Israel's behalf, knowing he and his sons would all die in a losing battle.
1 Samuel 28:1-2
28:1 "in those days" This is another literary marker that the account was written by an editor or compiler many years after the events. ▣ "Know assuredly" This is an intensified grammatical construction of an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 393, KB 390). ▣ "in the camp" The LXX and DSS have "in the battle. The Hebrew is similar. The LXX seems to fit the context better (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 919, #2; NET, p. 510, #1). So v. 5 should read, "when Saul saw the army." 28:2 Achish had been deceived by David. He foolishly even made David his bodyguard (lit. "keeper of my heart"). David will not, cannot fight against his people and his God's people!
1 Samuel 28:3-7
28:3 Samuel, Saul's prophetic source of divine information, was dead. Saul himself had removed the Canaanite sources of divine information (i.e., spiritists and mediums, cf. 1 Sam. 15:23). spiritists ‒ BDB 396 (lit. "familiar spirit," cf. Lev. 19:31; 20:6,27; Deut. 18:11; Isa. 8:19) mediums ‒ BDB 15 (lit. "necromancer," cf. Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Deut. 18:11; 2 Kgs. 23:24; 1 Chr. 10:13; Isa. 8:19; NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 303-304) See full note at Deuteronomy 18:11 online. 28:5 As Saul was afraid of Goliath, he is now afraid of the large Philistine army. Unlike David, who looked to YHWH, Saul focused on the immediate circumstances! Apparently the Philistines gathered their army mercenaries (like David and others, Josephus, Antiq. 6.14.1) 28:6 It is uncertain how Saul "inquired of the Lord." However, he tried but there was no response from Israel's God (cf. 1 Sam. 14:37). See Contextual Insights, A. It is interesting to note that the VERB "inquire" (BDB 981, KB 1371, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) has a positive orientation of requesting information from YHWH (i.e., Num. 27:21). But in 1 Sam. 28:7 another VERB occurs (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal COHORTATIVE; NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 993, 999, esp. #6, p. 995), which has a negative orientation (i.e., 2 Kgs. 1:2; 1 Chr. 10:14; Ps. 10:4; Isa. 8:19; 19:3; Ezek. 14:7). SPECIAL TOPIC: URIM AND THUMMIM 28:7 Saul had banned mediums but he knew there must still be some and his servants knew exactly where one was! The city of Endor was very close to the Philistine area. Saul must have been desperate to travel there with a small group.
1 Samuel 28:8-14
28:8 Saul disguised himself (it must have been hard because he was noticeably taller than most men) because he wanted a message from YHWH about the upcoming battle, but he knew if the medium recognized him, then she would not conjure up (BDB 890, KB 1115, NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 945-948) the dead, on penalty of death. 28:10 It is shocking to me that Saul offers an oath in YHWH's name to a medium! 28:11 Do mediums have the power to manipulate dead prophets? Is this a true appearance of Samuel? I think it is but the power did not come from the medium (i.e., she is shocked by the coming of Samuel) but from YHWH. He wanted to confront His first anointed one last time. YHWH can and does use evil for His purposes (i.e., the cross of Christ)! See Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 217-218 and Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 180-181. 28:13 NASB, NRSV, JPSOA "a divine being" NKJV, TEV "a spirit" "a ghost" "a ghostly form" LXX, Peshitta "gods" The MT has elohim (BDB 43). This word is used in several senses. Be sure to read the Special Topic below. SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. ▣ "coming up out of the earth" The ancient Israelites buried their dead. Therefore, the dead were in the ground. This developed into a concept that Sheol was an underground cavern (i.e., Num. 16:30,33; Ps. 55:15; 63:9; 88:1-18; 139:13-16). SPECIAL TOPIC: WHERE ARE THE DEAD? 28:14 This verse describes Samuel. an old man (possible imagery for respected leader, NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 1135, #2) wearing a prophetic robe the next several verses have Samuel being very direct with Saul, reasserting YHWH's message of judgment Saul recognized it was Samuel (v. 1 Sam. 28:20)
1 Samuel 28:15-19
28:15 "God has departed from me" Oh my, what a terrible plight! (cf. 1 Sam. 16:14; 18:12; same thing happened to Samson in Jdgs. 16:20; also note Rom. 1:24,26,28). The VERB (BDB 693, KB 747, Qal PERFECT) means to "turn away" or "desert"; the PERFECT stem denotes the permanence of the leaving. 28:18-19 Samuel states Saul's disobedience (v. 18) and YHWH's judgment (v. 19). Now Saul knows how he and his family will perish! 28:19 "give over Israel along with you" The whole nation suffered because of Saul. This is the eastern concept of "corporality" (i.e., one person's actions affect the group—Adam, Achan, Jesus). ▣ "you and your sons will be with me" Saul and his sons will be in Sheol as Samuel was. The Israelites believed in a conscious but joyless afterlife in Sheol until judgment/resurrection day. SPECIAL TOPIC: WHERE ARE THE DEAD?
1 Samuel 28:20-25
28:22-25 This is not the medium being helpful. She wanted Saul to leave her house!