1 Samuel 28 23

1 Samuel 28:23 kjv

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.

1 Samuel 28:23 nkjv

But he refused and said, "I will not eat." So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

1 Samuel 28:23 niv

He refused and said, "I will not eat." But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

1 Samuel 28:23 esv

He refused and said, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.

1 Samuel 28:23 nlt

But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

1 Samuel 28 verses

1 Samuel 28 23 Meaning

This verse portrays the culmination of King Saul's utter despair and physical collapse following Samuel's dire prophecy. Overwhelmed, Saul initially refuses any sustenance, indicating a complete surrender to his overwhelming grief and the anticipation of death. His resolve is then overridden by the persistent insistence of his attendants and the medium of Endor, compelling him to accept nourishment. His subsequent action of rising from the ground and seating himself on the bed signifies a reluctant, yet crucial, physical restoration of his composure, preparing him for the impending, fated battle against the Philistines.

1 Samuel 28 23 Context

This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the life of King Saul, immediately following his clandestine visit to the medium of Endor. Abandoned by divine counsel (having received no answers through dreams, Urim, or prophets), Saul desperately resorted to consulting a forbidden necromancer to call forth the spirit of Samuel. The prophetic message Samuel delivered was devastating: not only would Saul and Israel be defeated by the Philistines, but Saul and his sons would also die the very next day. This news sent Saul into profound physical and emotional collapse, leading him to fall full length on the ground, completely distraught (1 Sam 28:20).

Culturally, ancient Near Eastern societies, including Israel's neighbors, widely practiced various forms of divination and necromancy, but these were explicitly and sternly forbidden under Mosaic Law for Israel. Saul's action represented a complete breach of covenant faithfulness and a direct challenge to God's authority. In the immediate historical context, Saul was leading a demoralized army, facing a formidable Philistine force, knowing that God had departed from him. His refusal to eat is a biblical and ancient Near Eastern expression of extreme grief, mourning, or desperation. The act of compelling him to eat also aligns with the cultural norm of providing hospitality and sustenance, even in dire circumstances, or ensuring one has strength for a necessary, grim task.

1 Samuel 28 23 Word analysis

• But he refused, (וַיְמָאֵן - vaymāʾēn): This is from the Hebrew verb מָאַן (ma'an), meaning "to refuse, to decline, to be unwilling." It emphasizes Saul's strong, deliberate, and perhaps stubborn rejection of food. Despite his collapsed state, his will remained against nourishment. This reflects the depth of his despair, overwhelming any natural desire for self-preservation.
• and said, I will not eat. (וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֹכַל - vayyōʾmer lōʾ ʾōḵal): His declaration makes his refusal explicit and final. The negative לֹא (lōʾ) makes it an absolute statement, underscoring his complete surrender to the consequences of the prophecy. This vocalization confirms his profound despair and possibly a desire for immediate death rather than prolonging his suffering or facing the inevitable.
• But his servants, (עֲבָדָיו - ʿăvādāw): Refers to his personal attendants or aides. Their presence shows loyalty or perhaps obligation to their king even in such a dire, forbidden context. They act out of concern for his well-being, both practical and compassionate.
• and the woman, (וְהָאִשָּׁה - wəhāʾiššâ): Specifically, the medium of Endor. Her involvement in compelling him highlights her role beyond simply being a medium. She demonstrates a form of hospitality or care, possibly to prevent him from dying on her premises or out of a practical understanding that he needs strength to depart and face his fate.
• compelled him; (וַיִּפְצְרוּ־בוֹ - vayyip̄tsĕrū-vô): This verb is פָּצַר (patzar), meaning "to urge, press, compel, insist upon, constrain." It indicates a strong, persistent, and successful persuasion against his initial refusal. Saul's own will was overcome by their forceful insistence. This is a significant turning point in the verse, marking his yielding to human intervention after being forsaken by divine counsel.
• and he hearkened unto their voice. (וַיִּשְׁמַע לְקֹלָם - vayyišmaʿ ləqōlām): שָׁמַע (shama') means "to hear, to listen, to obey." The irony here is stark: Saul, who has famously failed to "hearken" (obey) the voice of the Lord throughout his reign, now yields to the voice of his human servants and a forbidden medium. This highlights his desperation and abandonment, relying on earthly counsel where heavenly counsel has ceased.
• So he arose from the earth, (וַיָּקָם מִן־הָאָרֶץ - vayyāqām min-hāʾāreṣ): קוּם (qum) means "to rise, stand up, establish." Having fallen in complete despair (1 Sam 28:20), this signifies a physical re-posturing, moving from total prostration and helplessness. It implies a partial regaining of physical agency, forced by circumstance and the persuasion of others, rather than inner strength or renewed hope. The "earth" or "ground" often symbolizes humility, dust-to-dust, or a state of abasement in biblical literature.
• and sat upon the bed. (וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל־הַמִּטָּה - vayyēšeḇ ʿal-hammiṭṭâ): יָשַׁב (yashab) means "to sit, dwell, remain." This denotes a shift to a more composed, though not necessarily recovered, state. The "bed" (מִטָּה - miṭṭâ) is a place of rest, but can also imply sickness or death in certain contexts, foreshadowing his imminent end. It's a pragmatic preparation for a meal and to depart, rather than a place of peaceful rest.

• "But he refused... I will not eat": This phrase powerfully conveys the psychological and spiritual devastation that has overcome Saul. His physical inability to take nourishment directly correlates with his shattered will to live after the pronouncement of his doom. It highlights his complete despair, contrasting with righteous individuals who might fast in prayer or mourning, as Saul's is born of unrepentant terror and abandonment by God.
• "But his servants, and the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice": This sequence is a crucial narrative turning point. Saul, the King chosen by God, once commanded by the Divine Voice, now responds to human insistence, and critically, to the "voice" (קֹלָם - qolam) of those involved in his egregious sin (the medium) and his immediate attendants. This obedience to earthly counsel, particularly that which aided in his disobedience to God, is profoundly ironic and tragic, underscoring his utter reliance on forbidden means in his final moments.
• "So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed": This phrase describes Saul's transition from utter collapse on the ground, a position of profound humiliation and despair (akin to Job's situation or intense mourning), to a somewhat more dignified but still compromised posture on the bed. This is not a recovery driven by spiritual fortitude or divine intervention, but a forced, physical act necessary for temporary sustenance. It suggests a practical restoration of enough strength to proceed to his fated end, not a reversal of his spiritual decline.

1 Samuel 28 23 Bonus section

• The Meal's Significance: While not mentioned in 28:23 itself, the fact that he then proceeds to eat the fatted calf prepared by the woman (28:24) carries a dark irony. Feasting, traditionally a sign of fellowship and covenant, here becomes a prelude to death, a "last supper" devoid of spiritual meaning. It serves only to physically empower a man already spiritually dead and condemned.
• Contrasted with Elijah: Saul's experience here, compelled to eat to regain strength after despair, can be contrasted with Elijah's (1 Kgs 19:5-8). Elijah, also in deep despair and desiring death, is miraculously provided for by an angel, empowering him for God's purposes. Saul, however, receives sustenance from human hands associated with divination, serving a doomed human purpose. This underscores the chasm between divine provision for faithful servants and compromised sustenance for a rebellious king.
• The Nuance of "Bed" (miṭṭâ): While generally a place of rest, "bed" can also connote illness or even the deathbed in the ancient world (e.g., Ps 41:3, Isa 28:20). Thus, his act of sitting on the bed can be subtly read as preparing himself, not for rest or recovery in the full sense, but for the end.

1 Samuel 28 23 Commentary

First Samuel 28:23 marks the somber reality of Saul's terminal despair and his unwilling concession to practical human need. Having fallen in abject terror at Samuel's prophecy, Saul's immediate refusal to eat signifies a profound spiritual and physical surrender, embodying biblical expressions of extreme grief and the desire for death over enduring humiliation. His adamant "I will not eat" illustrates the depth of his lost will to live, consumed by God's abandonment and the terrifying knowledge of his impending demise.

The verse's striking irony lies in Saul's eventual yielding. The king who had persistently refused to "hearken to the voice" of the Lord now gives in to the "voice" (insistence) of his servants and the medium—a forbidden source of counsel. This highlights his spiritual destitution: devoid of divine guidance, he is compelled by human agents, even those associated with his gravest sin. This "compulsion" provides a fleeting, pragmatic restoration of his physical strength, enabling him to rise from the dust of his despair and take a meal. His ascent from the "earth" to "the bed" symbolizes a transition from utter prostration to a state of temporary composure, yet it is a forced recovery, devoid of spiritual healing or hope. This act merely provides him the physical wherewithal to face his ultimate, unalterable fate—the battle that would lead to his death, a consequence of his relentless disobedience to God.