1 Samuel 28 7

1 Samuel 28:7 kjv

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.

1 Samuel 28:7 nkjv

Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor."

1 Samuel 28:7 niv

Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said.

1 Samuel 28:7 esv

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."

1 Samuel 28:7 nlt

Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor."

1 Samuel 28 verses

1 Samuel 28 7 Meaning

In 1 Samuel 28:7, King Saul, in a state of extreme fear and desperation due to God's silence, commands his servants to locate a woman who is a medium or necromancer. This action demonstrates a profound turning away from God's lawful and prescribed means of divine counsel. Despite Saul having previously purged the land of such practitioners (1 Sam 28:3), he now actively seeks one out to "inquire of her," aiming to gain spiritual guidance, likely concerning the impending battle with the Philistines. The verse highlights Saul's complete spiritual degradation and his resort to forbidden occult practices as a last, desperate attempt to secure insight, contrasting starkly with his former (albeit often half-hearted) adherence to Yahweh's laws.

1 Samuel 28 7 Context

Chapter 28 of 1 Samuel unfolds amidst a severe national crisis for Israel. The Philistines have gathered their forces for battle at Shunem, intending to wipe out the Israelite army. King Saul is terrified (1 Sam 28:5). Prior to this, Saul had alienated himself from God through persistent disobedience, culminating in his rejection as king (1 Sam 15). Crucially, in 1 Samuel 28:6, the text states that when Saul inquired of the LORD, God did not answer him—not through dreams, Urim (sacred lots cast by priests), nor prophets. This divine silence underscores Saul's complete severance from God's favor. Faced with a looming battle and no word from the true God, Saul's desperation drives him to openly defy God's clear and severe prohibition against consulting mediums and necromancers, practices he himself had once attempted to purge from the land (1 Sam 28:3). His act of seeking a medium represents a catastrophic spiritual fall, betraying the very core of Israelite faith in Yahweh as the sole source of divine guidance and authority.

1 Samuel 28 7 Word analysis

• Then Saul said to his servants:
  • Saul: The first king of Israel, once anointed by God, but now estranged and consumed by fear. His name often denotes his pride and disobedience.
  • Servants: Reflects the king's authority and immediate command structure. Their swift compliance reveals either their fear of the king or perhaps their own willingness to bypass God's law.
• "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium:
  • "Seek out" (בַּקְּשׁוּ baqqešû): A strong imperative verb, implying an urgent and determined search. It reflects Saul's desperation and proactive effort to find this forbidden counsel.
  • "a woman" (אֵשֶׁת ’ēšet): Specifically mentions a female practitioner, which was common in the ancient Near East for various occult practices.
  • "medium" (בַּעֲלַת־אוֹב ba‘alat-’ôḇ): Literally "mistress of an ob." The Hebrew term אֹב ('ôḇ), means a "skin bottle," but in this context refers to a necromancer, someone who professes to conjure or communicate with the dead, or a spirit dwelling within them (a familiar spirit). This was a deeply abhorrent practice to Yahweh, rooted in pagan beliefs about death and the spirit world, fundamentally antithetical to trusting in God alone for guidance.
• that I may go to her and inquire of her."
  • "inquire of her" (וְאֶדְרְשָׁה־בָּהּ wə’edrəšāh-vāh): The verb דָּרַשׁ (daraš) usually means "to seek," "to inquire," often used in the context of seeking God (e.g., Ps 34:4; Isa 55:6). Saul's use of this term here highlights his direct transference of spiritual dependence from God to a forbidden source, reflecting his utter apostasy.
• And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at En-dor."
  • "at En-dor": A specific geographical location in the territory of Manasseh (Joshua 17:11), located northeast of the proposed battle site at Mount Gilboa. The existence of a medium there, known to Saul's servants despite Saul's prior purge (1 Sam 28:3), indicates either the ineffectiveness of the purge, the continued clandestine operation of such figures, or Saul's servants' pre-existing knowledge and access to forbidden practices. This highlights the deep entrenchment of pagan practices in the land.

1 Samuel 28 7 Bonus section

• Polemics: This passage serves as a powerful polemic against the pervasive ancient Near Eastern practices of divination and necromancy. Unlike surrounding cultures that regularly sought guidance from the dead or spirits, the Mosaic Law absolutely forbade such activities for Israel, emphasizing God's unique authority and ability to reveal His will directly through His chosen means (prophets, Urim, dreams). Saul's act is a regression into the very paganism from which Israel was meant to be set apart, demonstrating the ultimate futility and spiritual danger of such practices.
• Spiritual Authority: Saul, as king, held the highest spiritual authority in the land alongside the High Priest and Prophet. His personal action to violate God's law sent a devastating message and set a dangerous precedent, further undermining true worship and God's standard among the people.
• The Irony of the Purge: The narrative points out the sharp irony that Saul himself had previously purged the land of mediums and necromancers (1 Sam 28:3). Now, in his personal crisis, he himself seeks out what he once outlawed, exposing his hypocritical and self-serving nature when facing adversity. His past obedience was seemingly external and situational, not deeply rooted in a heart devoted to God.
• God's Sovereignty vs. Human Desperation: Even in this forbidden act, God remains sovereign. Though Saul sought forbidden counsel, the events that transpired through the medium of En-dor ultimately unfolded within God's sovereign plan, bringing a divine message that confirmed Saul's impending demise, albeit in an extraordinary and terrifying manner.

1 Samuel 28 7 Commentary

1 Samuel 28:7 marks a crucial turning point in King Saul's tragic reign, vividly illustrating the depth of his spiritual downfall. Abandoned by God due to persistent disobedience and a heart far from Him, Saul seeks a forbidden means of counsel. His desperate plea to his servants to find a "medium" directly violates God's unequivocal commands against necromancy and spiritism (Deut 18:10-12, Lev 19:31). This act reveals Saul's complete disregard for the LORD's exclusive authority as the sole source of true revelation and guidance. Instead of repentance, he opts for occult practices, falling prey to fear and ungodly desperation.

This scene stands as a potent warning against seeking counsel from sources other than God, especially when He seems silent. God's silence to Saul was not arbitrary; it was a consequence of Saul's prolonged rebellion (1 Chr 10:13-14). Saul's turn to a medium, rather than seeking deeper repentance or trusting in God's sovereign plan, opened him to demonic deception and sealed his fate. It demonstrates that when a heart is fully set against God, it will seek solutions in the very darkness God prohibits. For believers today, this underscores the importance of patient reliance on God even in difficult circumstances, always seeking His will through His Word, prayer, and the counsel of godly people, and steadfastly rejecting any form of spiritism or occultism.