1 Samuel 28 6

1 Samuel 28:6 kjv

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

1 Samuel 28:6 nkjv

And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

1 Samuel 28:6 niv

He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.

1 Samuel 28:6 esv

And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

1 Samuel 28:6 nlt

He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.

1 Samuel 28 verses

1 Samuel 28 6 Meaning

First Samuel 28:6 reveals King Saul's desperate attempt to seek divine guidance from the Lord in a moment of great fear and impending battle with the Philistines. The core meaning of the verse is that despite Saul's inquiry, the Lord unequivocally refused to communicate with him through any of the recognized and legitimate channels of divine revelation in Israel: dreams, the Urim (from the high priestly ephod), or direct prophetic utterance. This divine silence was a profound and clear manifestation of God's judgment and abandonment of Saul, signifying that God had cut off communion with him due to his prolonged and severe disobedience.

1 Samuel 28 6 Context

1 Samuel 28:6 occurs at a critical juncture in Saul's reign, immediately preceding his fatal encounter with the Philistines. The immediate context shows Saul in a state of utter terror as the Philistine army has amassed against Israel at Shunem, later gathering on Mount Gilboa. This fear drives Saul, who has long been estranged from God due to his disobedience, to seek divine guidance. Earlier in the chapter (1 Sam 28:3), Samuel, God's primary prophet to Saul, has died, and Saul himself had previously banned mediums and spiritists from the land (1 Sam 28:3). With his usual spiritual counsel gone and forbidden alternatives unavailable, Saul turns to the Lord. However, the broader context of Saul's narrative is his persistent rebellion against God's commands (notably in 1 Sam 13 and 1 Sam 15), leading to God's rejection of him as king (1 Sam 15:23, 1 Sam 16:14) and the departure of the Spirit from him. God's silence in verse 6 is the culminating sign of this divine abandonment, pushing Saul to seek an outlawed medium (1 Sam 28:7). Historically, during this period, direct divine consultation was essential for a king's legitimate rule and success in battle. God's silence here is a direct statement of judgment, demonstrating that He alone is sovereign and cannot be manipulated or compelled to speak to one He has rejected, contrasting with the often transactional nature of pagan worship where deities were sought to be appeased or coerced.

1 Samuel 28 6 Word analysis

• And when Saul inquired (וַיִּשְׁאַל שָׁאוּל)

  • וַיִּשְׁאַל (vayyish'al): A waw-consecutive perfect form of the verb שָׁאַל (sha'al), meaning "to ask," "to inquire." The usage here indicates an act of formal, desperate seeking for divine direction.
  • שָׁאוּל (Sha'ul): The name of the first king of Israel. At this point, Saul is spiritually bankrupt and divinely rejected, yet still in a position of kingship, albeit with diminishing authority and mental distress. His "inquiry" highlights his desperation, not necessarily genuine repentance.

• of the Lord (בַּיהוָה - ba'yhwh)

  • בַּיהוָה (ba'yhwh): Refers to YHWH, the personal, covenant name of God. This indicates that Saul turned to the true God of Israel, not a pagan deity, showing his remaining recognition of God's supreme authority, despite his persistent disobedience.

• the Lord answered him not (וְלֹא עָנָהוּ יְהוָה - velo anahu YHWH)

  • וְלֹא (velo): The strong negation "and not."
  • עָנָהוּ (anahu): Third person singular perfect of עָנָה ('anah), meaning "to answer," "to respond." The suffix "hu" means "him." This is a definitive and absolute refusal from God. It's not that God couldn't communicate, but that He actively chose not to, demonstrating the severity of His judgment on Saul. This divine silence is a profound judgment in itself.

• either by dreams (גַּם בַּחֲלֹמוֹת - gam bachalomot)

  • גַּם (gam): "Also," "even." It emphasizes that this avenue of communication, usually available, was also closed.
  • בַּחֲלֹמוֹת (bachalomot): "By dreams." Chalomot is the plural of chalom, "dream." Dreams were a legitimate and common method through which God revealed His will or communicated messages (e.g., Gen 20:3, Gen 37:5, Dan 7:1). Their absence for Saul was a specific denial of guidance.

• or by Urim (וְגַם בָּאוּרִים - vegam ba'urim)

  • בָּאוּרִים (ba'urim): "By Urim." The Urim (often mentioned with Thummim) were sacred objects associated with the breastplate of the High Priest's ephod (Exo 28:30). They were used for receiving divine judgments or guidance, particularly for the leader or the community on matters of great importance (e.g., Num 27:21). The precise mechanism is debated, but they provided a binary or clear 'yes/no' answer from God. Saul's inability to receive guidance via Urim indicated a complete cut-off from even this sacred, established means of divine consultation. This suggests that despite his estrangement, there was still a High Priest and Urim available for consultation, but God chose not to use them for Saul.

• or by prophets (וְגַם בַּנְּבִיאִים - vegam bannevi'im)

  • בַּנְּבִיאִים (bannevi'im): "By prophets." Nevi'im is the plural of navi, "prophet." Prophets were individuals through whom God directly spoke, often delivering specific messages, warnings, or future revelations. Samuel, the great prophet, was dead (1 Sam 25:1, 1 Sam 28:3). While other prophets may have existed, God simply did not send a message through any of them to Saul, nor did His Spirit empower anyone to deliver a word directly to him. This comprehensive blockage of all prophetic revelation underlined God's final decision regarding Saul.

• Words-group analysis: "the Lord answered him not, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets"

  • This phrase comprehensively lists the three main legitimate forms of direct divine communication available in ancient Israel. The triple negation underscores the absolute and complete nature of God's silence. It's not that one method failed, but all standard and expected means were shut down by God Himself. This signifies a profound and conclusive rejection, signaling to Saul (and the original readers) that his case was spiritually dire and beyond reprieve through conventional means. It set the stage for Saul's desperate, illicit act of consulting the medium.

1 Samuel 28 6 Bonus section

• God's silence in 1 Samuel 28:6 served as a pivotal point, pushing Saul beyond his despair into direct transgression of a divinely forbidden practice (consulting mediums/spiritists, as detailed in Deut 18:10-12 and Lev 20:6). The narrative uses this to highlight the dire spiritual state of Saul and the logical outcome of a life disconnected from divine instruction.
• The fact that God, who had spoken so clearly through Samuel, now refused to speak through any channel emphasizes His sovereignty over all revelation. Humanity cannot compel or coerce God to speak when He chooses to be silent as a judgment. This also acts as a polemic against pagan practices where priests attempted to manipulate deities.
• The specific mention of Urim indicates that despite the general decline, access to this priestly mode of inquiry was still technically available, but God deliberately withheld His answer, demonstrating His power transcends human religious mechanisms when there is active rebellion.

1 Samuel 28 6 Commentary

First Samuel 28:6 tragically illustrates the ultimate consequence of persistent rebellion against God: divine silence and abandonment. Saul, once anointed by God's Spirit, found himself utterly cut off from the very source of guidance and strength. His frantic inquiry was met with an emphatic non-response from the Lord through all the recognized channels of revelation: the intuitive yet specific direction of dreams, the sacred and judicial pronouncements of the Urim associated with the High Priest, and the direct words from God delivered through prophets. This comprehensive refusal was not an oversight or inability on God's part, but a deliberate act of judgment. God had removed His Spirit from Saul and now withheld His voice, signifying the profound depth of Saul's spiritual declension and his irrevocable rejection as king. This divine silence was terrifying; it left Saul in a void of despair, compelling him to seek forbidden spiritual counsel from a medium (the very thing he had once purged from the land). The verse serves as a stark warning: continued disobedience severs communion with God, leading to spiritual darkness and disastrous choices. For the believing heart, it underscores that genuine repentance and obedience are prerequisites for receiving divine counsel and experiencing God's presence.