1 Samuel 28

In those days the Philistines gathered their armies to go to war against Israel. Achish said to David, "You should know for certain that you and your men are going out to battle with me."

1And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

NoteThe Philistines were a people settled on the coastal plain southwest of Israel, in five main cities, and were Israel's chief military rival at this time. Achish was the Philistine king of Gath, one of those cities; David had been living under his protection as a fugitive from Saul, which is why a Philistine king is giving him orders.

2David said to Achish, "Then you will find out what your servant can do." Achish said to David, "In that case I will make you my bodyguard for life."

2And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

NoteDavid's reply is deliberately ambiguous in the Hebrew: it can be heard as a loyal promise of good service or as a veiled threat about what he might do in the battle. The narrator does not resolve it. "Bodyguard" translates a Hebrew phrase meaning "keeper of my head."

3By this time Samuel had died. All Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own town. And Saul had driven out of the land everyone who talked with spirits of the dead and everyone who practiced magic.

3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

NoteThe two groups named are those who consulted the spirits of the dead on someone's behalf and those who practiced other kinds of divination, the King James "wizards" means a "knowing one," a professional diviner, not a fairy-tale magician. Israelite law forbade both, so Saul's earlier purge was enforcement of that law. The verse notes it here because it sets up the problem of the rest of the chapter.

4The Philistines came together and made camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they made camp at Gilboa.

4And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

NoteShunem and Gilboa face each other across the Jezreel Valley, roughly eight to ten miles apart. Both are well north of the Philistines' own coastal territory, so this is a Philistine push deep into Israelite farmland rather than the usual border skirmishing.

5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and his heart shook with terror.

5And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

6Saul asked the LORD what to do, but the LORD did not answer him. No answer came through dreams, or through the Urim, or through prophets.

6And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

NoteThe Urim was a sacred object (paired in other passages with the Thummim) kept in the high priest's breastpiece and used to obtain yes-or-no answers from God. Dreams, the Urim and prophets were the three recognized ways of putting a question to the LORD; the verse is saying every legitimate channel had gone silent.

7Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who talks with the spirits of the dead, so I can go to her and ask her for answers." His servants said to him, "There is such a woman at Endor."

7Then 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.

NoteEndor lay a few miles north of Shunem (that is, past or around the Philistine camp) which is why the journey is made at night.

8So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he went with two men. They came to the woman at night, and he said, "Please use the spirit to tell me what is coming, and bring up for me the one I name."

8And 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.

NoteSaul disguises himself for two reasons the story assumes the reader will supply: he is the king and would be recognized, and he is asking for the very service he himself had outlawed.

9The woman said to him, "Look, you know what Saul has done. He has wiped out of the land those who talk with the spirits of the dead and those who practice magic. Why are you setting a trap for me that will get me killed?"

9And 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?

10Saul made a promise to her in the LORD's name: "As surely as the LORD lives, no punishment will come to you for doing this."

10And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

Note"As surely as the LORD lives" was the strongest oath formula in Hebrew, staking the speaker's own standing before God on his word.

11Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me."

11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

12When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said to Saul, "Why did you lie to me? You are Saul!"

12And 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.

NoteThe text does not say how seeing Samuel told the woman who her visitor was; it simply reports that it did. The gap is in the Hebrew as well, and translations leave it open.

13The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What did you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I saw a godlike being coming up out of the ground."

13And 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.

NoteThe Hebrew word here, *elohim*, covers God, gods, and supernatural beings generally, and the verb attached to it in this verse is plural. It can be read as "a god," "a divine being," or "spirits" coming up, and the ambiguity is in the original. "Out of the ground" reflects the ordinary Israelite picture of the dead as being below the earth, in Sheol.

14He said to her, "What does he look like?" She said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bent down with his face to the ground and bowed low.

14And 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.

NoteThe robe is a *me'il*, a long sleeveless outer garment; Samuel's robe is mentioned earlier in the book, when Saul tore its hem. Bowing face to the ground was the customary gesture of respect before a superior (a king, or a prophet) and does not by itself indicate worship.

15Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in deep trouble. The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has left me. He does not answer me anymore, not through prophets and not through dreams. So I have called you to tell me what I should do."

15And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

Note"Disturbed" and "brought up" both assume the dead are at rest below the ground; Samuel's complaint is about being stirred out of that rest and made to come up.

16Then Samuel said, "Why do you ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?

16Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

17The LORD has done exactly what he said through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to the man next to you, to David.

17And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:

Note"The man next to you" translates a Hebrew word meaning neighbor, companion, fellow. It repeats, word for word, what Samuel had said to Saul in an earlier confrontation, where the man was left unnamed; here the name David is supplied.

18You did not obey the LORD's voice, and you did not carry out his burning anger against the Amalekites. That is why the LORD has done this to you today.

18Because 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.

NoteThe Amalekites were a desert people Saul had been ordered to destroy completely, sparing nothing, an order he had carried out only in part, keeping their king and the best of their livestock alive. "Carry out his burning anger" means executing that sentence.

19What is more, the LORD will hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand the army of Israel over to the Philistines."

19Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

Note"You and your sons will be with me" means among the dead.

20Then Saul fell full length on the ground at once, terrified by what Samuel had said. He had no strength left, because he had eaten no food all that day and all that night.

20Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

21The woman came to Saul and saw that he was badly shaken. She said to him, "Look, I your servant have obeyed you. I put my own life at risk and did what you told me to do.

21And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

Note"Your servant" (King James "handmaid") is the polite way a person addressed a superior, referring to herself in the third person rather than saying "I." "I put my own life at risk" renders a Hebrew idiom, literally "I put my life in my hand."

22So now please listen to me, your servant. Let me set a piece of bread in front of you. Eat it, so you will have the strength to go on your way."

22Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

23But he refused and said, "I will not eat." His servants joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. So he got up off the ground and sat on the bed.

23But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

NoteThe bed is a couch or low raised platform, used for reclining at meals as well as for sleeping, so sitting on it is the normal posture for eating, not a retreat to rest.

24The woman had a fattened calf at the house. She quickly killed it, and she took flour, kneaded it, and baked bread without yeast.

24And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:

NoteA fattened calf was an animal specially fed for slaughter, the most expensive meat available and normally reserved for a major occasion. Bread without yeast needs no time to rise, so it can be mixed and baked at once, the point here is speed, not any festival meaning.

25She set the food in front of Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and left that same night.

25And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.