1 Samuel 28:16 kjv
Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
1 Samuel 28:16 nkjv
Then Samuel said: "So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?
1 Samuel 28:16 niv
Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy?
1 Samuel 28:16 esv
And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?
1 Samuel 28:16 nlt
But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?
1 Samuel 28 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 13:13-14 | Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly... the LORD would have established your kingdom forever... But now your kingdom shall not continue." | Early rejection due to disobedience. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of divination... Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." | God's rejection of Saul confirmed. |
| 1 Sam 16:14 | "Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him." | Spiritual abandonment and torment begin. |
| Lev 19:31 | "Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them." | Forbidden consultation of spirits. |
| Deut 18:10-12 | "There shall not be found among you anyone... who practices divination... or a medium or a necromancer. For everyone who does these things is an abomination to the LORD..." | Prohibitions against illicit spiritual practices. |
| 2 Chr 33:6 | (Manasseh)... he practiced divination and used omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD... | Historical example of kings using forbidden practices. |
| Isa 8:19 | "And when they say to you, 'Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,' should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?" | God alone should be consulted. |
| Ps 107:10-11 | "those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death... because they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High." | Consequences of rejecting God's counsel. |
| Prov 1:28-31 | "Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD..." | God's silence to those who reject Him. |
| Isa 59:2 | "but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." | Sin separates from God. |
| Jer 6:19 | "Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not listened to my words..." | Divine judgment for not listening to God's word. |
| Jer 7:16 | "As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you." | God's determined rejection and refusal to hear prayer. |
| Lam 2:5 | "The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel..." | God turning against His people due to sin. |
| Ezek 21:25 | "And you, O unhallowed, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment..." | Judgment on unrighteous rulers. |
| Hos 9:12 | "Though they bring up their children, I will bereave them until no one is left. Woe to them when I depart from them!" | Devastating consequences of God's departure. |
| Rom 1:28 | "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." | God giving people over to their sinful ways. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of divine retribution. |
| Heb 12:29 | "for our God is a consuming fire." | God's holy wrath against unholiness. |
| James 4:6 | "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" | God's opposition to the proud. |
| Matt 25:41 | "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'" | Ultimate separation from God due to unrighteousness. |
1 Samuel 28 verses
1 Samuel 28 16 Meaning
This verse, spoken by the manifestation of Samuel, delivers a crushing rebuke and seals Saul's fate. It asserts that there is no valid reason for Saul to consult Samuel, because Yahweh, the very source of Israel's strength and Samuel's prophetic authority, has definitively abandoned Saul and has become his active adversary. This declaration confirms the dire spiritual state of Saul, stripped of divine favor and facing imminent judgment.
1 Samuel 28 16 Context
This verse follows Saul's desperate and forbidden attempt to consult the dead prophet Samuel through a medium at Endor. Saul, having been abandoned by God (His Spirit had departed), receiving no divine guidance through conventional means (dreams, Urim, prophets), and fearing the approaching Philistine army, resorted to necromancy – an act strictly forbidden by Mosaic Law. This consultation occurs after Samuel's death and burial, highlighting Saul's complete spiritual decline and his utter lack of faith and obedience to God, which ironically mirrors the very disobedience that led to his rejection as king.
1 Samuel 28 16 Word analysis
Then Samuel said: The Hebrew name "Samuel" (שְׁמוּאֵל - Shemu'el) is used, attributing the statement to the deceased prophet. Regardless of the exact nature of the appearance, its message is consistent with God's previous declarations, carrying divine authority.
'Why then do you ask me: (לָמָּה זֶּה תִּשְׁאָלֵנִי - lāmmāh zeh tiššā'lēnî). This rhetorical question highlights the profound futility and impropriety of Saul's action. "Lāmmāh zeh" means "Why this" or "Why then," expressing condemnation. Saul seeks from a prohibited source what he refused to receive directly from God.
since the LORD: (וַיהוָה - vaYahweh). The use of God's covenant name, Yahweh, emphasizes that the judgment is from the supreme, sovereign God of Israel. It signifies that the definitive severance is from the ultimate divine authority.
has departed from you: (סָר מֵעָלֶיךָ - sār mēʿāleḵā). "Sār" (root: סוּר - sûr) means to turn aside, depart, or remove. "Mēʿāleḵā" translates to "from upon you" or "from over you." This confirms a decisive and complete withdrawal of God's favor, presence, and empowering Spirit from Saul, a reality first indicated in 1 Sam 16:14.
and has become your enemy: (וַיְהִי עָרֶךָ - vayhî 'ārĕkā). "Vayhî" means "and He has become," denoting a change of state. "'Ārĕkā" means "your adversary" or "your enemy." This is a stark declaration. God, who had once been Saul's divine protector and ally, is now positioned actively against him due to Saul's persistent disobedience. This expresses God's righteous judgment and active opposition.
'Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you...': This phrase highlights the logical absurdity and profound desperation of Saul's actions. It conveys that seeking guidance from Samuel, whose authority derived solely from God, is senseless when God Himself has withdrawn His presence and counsel from Saul. There is no legitimate channel left for Saul, and any other channel is forbidden.
'...the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?': This paired declaration underscores the complete rupture of the covenant relationship. It is not mere absence but an active and adversarial posture by God towards Saul, revealing the devastating consequences of repeated rebellion. This active opposition reflects divine judgment and highlights God's unyielding righteousness against unrepentant sin.
1 Samuel 28 16 Bonus section
- The Nature of the Encounter: The exact nature of Samuel's appearance is often debated; some scholars argue for a real appearance of Samuel allowed by God despite the medium's sin, others suggest a demonic deception or a mere psychological projection. Regardless, the content of the message is unequivocally truthful and consistent with God's earlier judgment of Saul, lending it divine authority and indicating that God permitted the communication to seal Saul's fate.
- Ultimate Desperation: Saul's resort to necromancy illustrates his absolute spiritual desolation and fear. He had exhausted all legitimate means of divine communication, emphasizing his complete isolation from God and willingness to defy divine law out of sheer desperation.
- Polemics against Paganism: This narrative strongly functions as a polemic against necromancy and other forms of divination practiced in surrounding pagan cultures. It demonstrates that such practices are an abomination in God's sight, offer no genuine hope or positive outcome, and, in fact, only incur further divine condemnation. This contrasts sharply with the exclusive and legitimate channels of revelation provided by Yahweh through His prophets and His Law.
- Severity of Rejection: The phrase "become your enemy" is profound. It portrays God's holy wrath against unrepentant sin not as mere indifference, but as an active, opposing force. This active divine opposition against Saul foreshadows his impending defeat and death, highlighting the severe consequences of defying the living God.
1 Samuel 28 16 Commentary
Samuel's spectral rebuke in 1 Sam 28:16 functions as the ultimate divine verdict upon King Saul. It succinctly confirms that the prior declarations of God's rejection (1 Sam 13, 15) were irrevocable. Saul's illicit attempt to circumvent God's silence by consulting the dead prophet only intensified his condemnation, revealing his deep spiritual apostasy. The pronouncement "the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy" signifies an irreparable breakdown of the divine-human covenant relationship, stripping Saul of any hope of divine aid or reconciliation. This statement underscores that once God has definitively withdrawn His favor due to persistent rebellion, all human efforts to re-establish contact through forbidden means are futile and only deepen condemnation. It illustrates that divine judgment is not merely passive absence but can involve active opposition against those who defiantly turn from Him.