1 Samuel 28 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter tells the tragic story of Saul's desperation and downfall as he seeks guidance from a forbidden source.

Saul's Fear and Desperation: The Philistines are preparing for war against Israel, and Saul is terrified. He seeks guidance from God, but God remains silent, refusing to answer him through dreams, prophets, or the Urim and Thummim (traditional methods of divination).

Seeking Out the Witch of Endor: Desperate, Saul disguises himself and travels at night to Endor to consult a woman known for necromancy (communicating with the dead). He asks her to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel, who had died earlier.

The Witch's Fear and Samuel's Appearance: The woman is initially afraid, thinking Saul is trying to trap her. However, she agrees to perform the ritual. To her shock, Samuel's spirit actually appears.

Samuel's Prophecy of Doom: Samuel, angry at being disturbed, rebukes Saul for his disobedience to God and for seeking guidance from a forbidden source. He then delivers a chilling prophecy: Saul and his sons will die in battle against the Philistines the next day, and Israel will be defeated.

Saul's Despair and the Witch's Compassion: Saul is devastated by the prophecy and collapses in fear and despair. The witch, seeing his condition, shows him unexpected kindness. She prepares a meal for him and encourages him to eat and regain his strength before facing his fate.

The Chapter's Significance: This chapter highlights the consequences of Saul's continued disobedience and his rejection of God. It shows the depth of his despair and the tragic end that awaits him. The chapter also raises questions about the nature of necromancy and the power of God, even in the face of forbidden practices.

1 Samuel 28 bible study ai commentary

This chapter chronicles King Saul's ultimate act of desperation and rebellion. Rejected by God and terrified of an impending Philistine attack, Saul forsakes God's law and seeks guidance from a medium at Endor. The séance, whether a demonic deception or a terrifying divine allowance, results in the spirit of Samuel appearing and pronouncing an irrevocable sentence of death and defeat upon Saul and his sons. The chapter serves as the dark climax of Saul's tragic reign, illustrating the final consequences of disobedience and the terrifying emptiness of seeking answers apart from God.

1 Samuel 28 Context

This chapter is set against the backdrop of an imminent, decisive battle between Israel and the Philistines. Culturally, necromancy (communicating with the dead) was a common pagan practice in the Ancient Near East but was explicitly forbidden by God's Law given to Israel. It was seen as an abomination that defiled the people and the land. Saul, having previously enforced this law, now violates it, demonstrating his complete spiritual and moral collapse. This act is a polemic against pagan spiritualism, showing that it offers not hope or guidance, but only despair and confirmation of divine judgment.

1 Samuel 28:1-2

In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” And David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

In-depth-analysis

• This scene creates immense narrative tension. David, Israel's anointed future king, is trapped in a loyalty pledge to the Philistine king Achish.
• David's answer is masterfully ambiguous: "you shall know what your servant can do." To Achish, it sounds like a promise of loyalty. To the reader, it is a non-committal statement that leaves his true actions uncertain.
• Achish's response, making David his permanent bodyguard (shomer l'roshi - "guardian of my head"), shows his complete trust in David and highlights the irony of the situation. The protector of Israel is now the designated protector of a Philistine king.
• This predicament for David serves as a literary foil to Saul's. While David navigates a politically impossible situation with cunning, Saul collapses under military and spiritual pressure.

Bible references

• 1 Samuel 27:1-4: David... said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul..." So David... went over to Achish. (Explains why David is with the Philistines).
• 1 Samuel 29:1-11: But the commanders of the Philistines said, "...send the man back... he may become an adversary to us in the battle." (Shows how God providentially delivered David from this terrible choice).

Cross references

Gen 12:10-13 (Abram's deceptive answer); 1 Sam 21:10-15 (David's feigned madness before Achish); 2 Cor 6:14 (warning against being unequally yoked).

1 Samuel 28:3

Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.

In-depth-analysis

• This verse provides crucial background information essential for the rest of the chapter.
• Samuel's Death: It establishes that Saul's prophetic guide and spiritual conscience is gone. There is no legitimate prophetic voice to turn to.
• Saul's Former Piety: The detail that Saul himself had expelled the mediums (’obot) and necromancers (yidde‘onim) underscores the hypocrisy and sheer desperation of his subsequent actions. He is now seeking help from the very source he once condemned in obedience to God's law.

Bible references

• 1 Samuel 25:1: Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him... (Records the event).
• Leviticus 19:31: Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them... (The law Saul initially followed).
• Deuteronomy 18:10-11: There shall not be found among you anyone who... practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens... or a necromancer... (The basis for Saul's edict).

Cross references

Lev 20:27 (penalty for mediums); 2 Ki 23:24 (Josiah's reform mirroring Saul's earlier act); Isa 8:19 (condemnation of seeking the dead).

1 Samuel 28:4-6

The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

In-depth-analysis

• The geographical setting is significant. The armies face each other across the Jezreel Valley, a classic battlefield location. Shunem (Philistines) and Gilboa (Israel) are strategically positioned.
• Saul's fear is described viscerally: "his heart trembled greatly." This is the terror of a man who knows he is facing a crisis without divine support.
• He exhausts all legitimate channels of divine communication:
  1. Dreams: A common way God communicated with patriarchs and kings (e.g., Jacob, Joseph, Solomon).
  2. Urim: Part of the high priest's breastplate, used for discerning God's will (e.g., Num 27:21). This implies Abiathar, the priest who fled to David, may have taken the Ephod with the Urim and Thummim.
  3. Prophets: The primary spokespersons for God after Moses. With Samuel dead and others like Gad with David, Saul is isolated.
• God's silence is not passive; it is an active judgment. Having rejected God's word (1 Sam 15), Saul is now rejected by God's word. The silence is the answer.

Bible references

• 1 Samuel 14:37: And Saul inquired of God... But he did not answer him that day. (Shows a prior instance of divine silence).
• Proverbs 1:28: Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. (A wisdom principle that applies perfectly to Saul).
• Lamentations 3:8: ...though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. (Describes the feeling of being cut off from God).

Cross references

Ps 66:18 (sin hinders prayer); Ezek 14:3-4 (God not answering idolaters); Hos 5:6 (seeking the Lord but not finding him); Jam 4:3 (praying with wrong motives).

1 Samuel 28:7-10

Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went... And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” ...But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

In-depth-analysis

• The Request: Saul, the king, asks his own servants to help him break his own law.
• Word: The woman is a ba‘alat-’ob, a "mistress of a spirit/pit," one who conjures spirits of the dead.
• Disguise: Saul's disguise is symbolic of his internal state. He is no longer acting as the LORD's anointed king but as a furtive, desperate man. He hides his identity because he knows his actions are shameful and illegal.
• The Oath: The peak of irony and blasphemy. Saul invokes the name of the LORD (YHWH) to guarantee safety for a woman engaging in an act the LORD explicitly declared an abomination punishable by death. He uses God's name to sanction disobedience.

Bible references

• 1 Kings 22:30: And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle..." (Another king using a disguise before a fatal battle).
• Isaiah 29:15: Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark... (Describes the futility of hiding sin from God).

Cross references

Deut 12:30-31 (do not inquire of pagan gods); Prov 15:3 (eyes of the LORD are everywhere); Gal 6:7 (God is not mocked).

1 Samuel 28:11-14

Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” ...The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said, “I see a god [elohim] coming up out of the earth.” He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

In-depth-analysis

• The Woman's Shock: Her shriek is a crucial detail. Commentators and scholars are divided on its meaning:
  1. She was a charlatan, and something real and terrifying happened that was beyond her control, shocking her.
  2. In the appearance of Samuel, she was given supernatural insight and recognized Saul as the king who outlawed her practice.
• Word: Her description, "I see a god/divine being" (elohim), does not necessarily mean a deity. The word can refer to judges, angels, or supernatural beings. She saw something majestic and otherworldly.
• The Appearance: Saul does not see the spirit directly. He relies on the medium's description ("an old man... wrapped in a robe"). The robe was a significant symbol of Samuel's prophetic authority (1 Sam 15:27).
• Saul's Reaction: He immediately accepts it is Samuel and "paid homage" (wayyiqqod... wayyishtahu). This is an act of worship/reverence given to a summoned spirit, a profoundly idolatrous act.

Polemics

The identity of the apparition is the most debated part of this chapter.

• It was Samuel: This view holds that God, in a singular act of judgment, genuinely sent Samuel from the dead to pronounce doom. The prophecy is accurate, the message is consistent with Samuel's rebukes in life, and it explains the medium's terror.
• It was a Demon: This view argues that necromancy is demonic. A familiar spirit impersonated Samuel, as Satan can masquerade as an "angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14). God allowed the deception to work as part of Saul's judgment. The demon would know Saul's history and could make an educated (or supernaturally informed) guess about the battle's outcome.
• This passage does not endorse necromancy. In either view, the experience brought Saul no comfort, only a terrifying confirmation of his destruction.

Cross references

Luke 16:27-31 ("...if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." '...They have Moses and the Prophets...' The rich man's request to send Lazarus from the dead is denied); 2 Cor 11:14 (...even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Is it therefore any wonder that his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness?).

1 Samuel 28:15-19

Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”... “The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD... Therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”

In-depth-analysis

• The spirit offers no comfort, only cold, hard judgment. Its opening question, "Why have you disturbed me?" carries a tone of rebuke, not fellowship.
• The message has three parts:
  1. Past Failure (v. 17-18): It repeats the judgment from 1 Samuel 15, rooting Saul's present crisis in his past disobedience concerning the Amalekites. There is no new information, only reinforcement.
  2. Present Consequence (v. 18): "Therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day." The current abandonment by God is a direct result of that sin.
  3. Future Doom (v. 19): This is the devastating new revelation. Israel will be defeated, and "tomorrow you and your sons will be with me" (‘immî).
• "With me": This phrase is key. In OT understanding, Sheol was the realm of all the dead, righteous and unrighteous. The statement simply means "you will be dead, as I am," not necessarily in a place of blessed fellowship.

Bible references

• 1 Samuel 15:23, 28: For rebellion is as the sin of divination... the LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours... (The original prophecy now reiterated).
• 1 Samuel 31:2-6: And the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul... Thus Saul died... he and his three sons... on that day together. (The precise fulfillment of the prophecy).
• Ecclesiastes 9:5: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing... (A verse often used to argue against the apparition being Samuel, suggesting the dead are inert).

Cross references

Isa 14:9-11 (describes Sheol stirred to meet the king of Babylon); Luke 16:26 (great chasm fixed between righteous and unrighteous dead, a later NT development).

1 Samuel 28:20-25

Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night... So she took a fatted calf... and baked unleavened bread. And she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

In-depth-analysis

• Saul's collapse is total—physical, emotional, and spiritual. He received the one thing he didn't want: certainty of his own doom.
• There is a profound moment of human compassion from the medium. She sees his weakness, pleads with him to eat, and prepares a sacrificial-level meal ("a fatted calf").
• This kindness from a forbidden practitioner stands in stark contrast to God's severe judgment and Saul's own history of unmerciful actions (e.g., slaughtering the priests at Nob).
• The meal is like a "last supper" for the condemned. Eating does not restore his spirit, only enough physical strength to walk to his death. They leave "that night," cloaked in the same darkness they sought out.

Bible references

• 1 Kings 19:4-8: But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness... and he asked that he might die... And an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” (A contrasting scene where God provides food to a despairing prophet, Elijah, to strengthen him for life, not death).
• Luke 22:19-20: And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it... “This is my body, which is given for you.” (The true "last supper" that brings life, contrasted with Saul's meal that precedes death).

Cross references

Ps 109:24 (knees are weak through fasting); Gen 18:7 (Abraham preparing a calf for heavenly visitors); Judg 19:21 (an example of hospitality).

1 Samuel chapter 28 analysis

• The Divine Commentary: The Bible gives its own explicit interpretation of these events. 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 states, "So Saul died for his breach of faith... he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also for consulting a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse." The act at Endor was the final sin in a life of rebellion.
• A Warning Against the Occult: The chapter is a powerful warning. Seeking guidance from forbidden spiritual sources is portrayed not as a neutral act, but as a turning away from God that leads to destruction. It provides no hope, only confirms judgment.
• Tragic Hero: Saul perfectly fits the model of a tragic hero. He is a king of great initial promise who, through a fatal flaw (insecurity leading to rebellion against God), engineers his own downfall. This chapter is his lowest point, the moment of anagnorisis (recognition) where he fully understands his fate is sealed.
• The Silence of God: The chapter powerfully explores the theme of divine silence. For the believer, God's silence can be a test of faith. For the unrepentant like Saul, it is the silence of judgment, a precursor to condemnation. It forces him to seek a voice elsewhere, and the voice he finds is not one of grace.

1 Samuel 28 summary

Faced with a massive Philistine army and met with divine silence, a terrified King Saul violates God's law and his own royal edict by disguising himself and consulting a medium at Endor. He asks her to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. An apparition appears, confirming God's past judgment on Saul, and delivers a devastating new prophecy: Israel will be defeated, and Saul and his sons will be dead by the next day. Saul collapses in utter despair, and after a final, grim meal, he departs into the night to meet his doom.