1.
And 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.
men . Hebrew. '. enosh. App-14 .
2.
And 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.
Surely = Therefore; which Achish repeats in his reply.
keeper of mine head : i.e. captain of my body-guard.
3.
Now 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.
in Ramah , &c. Hebrew "in Ramah and in his own city". Figure of speech Hendiadys ( App-6 ) = in his own city, Ramah.
had familiar spirits . Familiar spirits are demons pretending to be dead persons; hence the word "necromancy". See notes on Leviticus 19:31 and Isaiah 8:19 .
wizards = wise, cunning, or knowing ones.
4.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5.
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6.
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
enquired = asked. Hebrew. sha'al, to ask. Not darash, "to seek out". See note on 1 Samuel 28:7 , and 1Ch 10:13 , 1 Chronicles 10:14 .
the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .
answered him not . Not likely therefore to answer now by a way He had forbidden. Samuel had been dead two years.
Urim. See note on Exodus 28:30 . Numbers 26:55 . It must have been an ephod of his own making, as Abiathar the High Priest was with David. Saul makes no mention of this in 1 Samuel 28:13 .
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.
a woman . Answering to the modern "mediums".
hath = owneth, possesses as mistress. See note on Leviticus 19:31 .
enquire = seek out. Hebrew. darash, a deeper meaning than 1 Samuel 28:6 . See note above. Compare 1 Chronicles 10:13 , 1 Chronicles 10:14 .
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
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.
by the familiar spirit . Hence called necromancy.
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?
life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
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.
up . Note: not down, or forth. Compare 1 Samuel 28:13 .
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.
saw Samuel . Or, the materialisation of a deceiving spirit personating Samuel, as is done by "mediums" to-day.
she cried , &c. Evidently surprised, and getting more than she expected.
thou art Saul . How should she know this but by a communication from the spirit.
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.
gods . Plural of Elohim. Either "a god "or a spirit manifestation.
out of the earth . Not down, or forth, as in John 11:43 , John 11:44 .
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.
man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 . Not a spirit. mantle. If a spirit, why a mantle? Samuel's spirit was with God (Ecclesiastes 12:7 ). And if Samuel's body, it would be with "grave-clothes" (John 11:44 ).
perceived = understood: i.e. from what the medium said. He saw nothing.
stooped = did obeisance.
15.
And 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.
Samuel said : i.e. the spirit personating Samuel said. Just as it is done in the present day by the medium: never directly.
disquieted . If Samuel, then it shows he was "quiet" before.
me . Not my spirit.
God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .
no more . Therefore certainly not by means which He had expressly forbidden. See Leviticus 19:31 ; Leviticus 20:6 , Leviticus 20:27 . Deuteronomy 18:10 , Deuteronomy 18:13 , &c.
by prophets . Saul omits the reference to "Urim" because it would remind him of the murder of the priests (1 Samuel 22:18 , 1 Samuel 22:19 ). See note on 1 Samuel 28:6 .
16.
Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
Then said Samuel . Jehovah might have sent "a lying spirit", and given by it a true message, just as He did in 2 Chronicles 18:19-22 . Nothing was said but what was well known before.
become thine enemy . The Septuagint reads "and hath come to be with thy neighbour". Compare 1 Samuel 28:17 with 1 Samuel 15:28 .
17.
And 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:
as = according as.
by me = by my hand.
18.
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.
obeyedst not = hearkenedst not to.
wrath . Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the judgment in consequence of it.
19.
Moreover 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.
with me : i.e. with the dead.
20.
Then 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.
fell straightway = remained motionless. Compare Acts 9:7 , where "stood.
speechless = remained speechless. See Acts 26:14 . The two passages
together = fell, and remained so.
bread = food. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species). App-6 .
21.
And 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.
Behold . Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
22.
Now 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.
23.
But 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.
24.
And 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:
house = shed.
25.
And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.