Chapter Twenty-Eight
Saul and the Medium of En-dor
28:1 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.” 2 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.”
After some time had past the Philistines gathered their men to go to war with Israel. Achish enlists David and his men to go with them. David acknowledges with a somewhat vague response, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” Some say that David’s response was arrogant, but there seems to be a hint of something more, as Achish in the past had only heard about what David and his men did, now he had to opportunity to see for himself, but the answer is still somewhat cryptic. Was he saying that “you shall know what your servant can do,” against the Israelites or against the Philistines? Achish then informed David that he will now be his permanent bodyguard.
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.
This verse is not reporting anything new, Samuel’s death was reported in 1 Samuel 25:1, and now we read that in the past Saul had made being a medium or a necromancer illegal, as both are prohibited by God’s law (see Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31; 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-11), but likely this was enacted several years earlier. Both of these facts provide some background information for the event that follows.
28:4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.
We are told that the Philistines assembled and camped at Shunem, north of the Jezreel Valley, over sixty miles north of Gath. And Saul gathered all Israel and they were camped at Gilboa, a mountain range south of the Jezreel Valley.
28:5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
Saul could see the Philistines across the valley had amassed a large army, and being this far north could only mean one thing, they were going to attack Israel. Saul was frightened and didn’t know what to do so, he tried to inquire from YHWH (likely through prayer), but YHWH did not respond. No word came from Him, not from any dreams, not from by way of the Urim, nor was there any word from any prophet. There is no reference to Saul actually going to the priests to inquire through the Urim and Thummim (especially after he had most of the priests killed, and Abiathar, the only survivor, now the high priest, who likely had the Urim and Thummim, was with David, see 1 Samuel 22:6-23), plus there is no record of him actually seeking a prophet. The statement seems to support the idea that God was silent, which underscores the desperation of Saul. The saying, “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” certainly applies to this scenario.
28:7 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.”
Desperate measures indeed, Saul breaks his own rules and asks his servants to find a woman medium (two words in Hebrew bǎ·‛ǎlǎṯ, meaning female owner, possessor, and ‛ôḇ’, conjured spirit, a familiar spirit), so that he can go and inquire of her. His servants tell him that there is a medium not too far away in the city of En-dor (which is on the north side of the Jezreel Valley).
28:8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.”
Saul and two of his men go to En-dor by cover of night and in disguise. They find her and Saul asks her to divine for him by a spirit and bring up for him from the dead whomever he names.
28:9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
Not knowing who this stranger was, the woman indirectly denies being a medium and accuses Saul of setting a trap that would result in her death.
28:10 But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
Saul then reassures her and swears by the name of YHWH that this is no trap and promises that no harm will be done to her for doing this.
28:11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 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 medium asked who was to be brought up from the dead, Saul responded, bring up Samuel. Then to her surprise, she was able to see Samuel, possibly for the first time a person actually showed up in one of her attempts, she cried out with a loud voice, because his appearance was not due to a spirit, but by the will of God. Then she realized that her ‘customer’ was Saul and proclaimed, “Why have you deceived me?”
28:13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 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.
Saul asked her what does she see, and the woman first described seeing “a god” (Hebrew ‛ělō·hîm’, plural gods, or God) coming out of the earth. Saul asked what does he look like and she responded, like an old man in a robe. Saul was convinced it was Samuel so he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage (Hebrew yiš·tā’·ḥû, to worship, bow down, to prostrate, to humbly beseech) to him.
28:15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”
Samuel first asks Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul responded that he was in great distress as the Philistines are about to start a war, and God is not answering any of his inquiries, so he called him to find out what he is to do. Samuel then asks why ask him since YHWH has turned from him and became his enemy, YHWH is doing just as He said He would, and tore the kingdom out of Saul’s hands (see 1 Samuel 15:28) and given it to David. Samuel explains that all this is happening because Saul did not obey YHWH and did not carry out His wrath against the Amalekites. Therefore, God will give Israel and him into the hand of the Philistines and then on the next day Saul and his sons will be with him, referring to them being killed. Samuel ends this encounter by repeating that YHWH will give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
28:20 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 nothing all day and all night.
Upon hearing about the soon demise of Israel, his sons, and himself, Saul dropped to the ground filled with fear. We are told that he had no strength in him because he had not eaten anything for over a day.
28:21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 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.
The woman told him that she did what he instructed her to do, noting that she risked her own life in doing so and now he should listen to her and eat some bread to help him regain his strength. At first he refused to eat, but after being urged by his servants and again by the woman, he got up.
28:24 Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25 and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
The woman had a calf that she killed and slaughtered and then prepared a meal with unleavened bread. Saul and his servants ate and then left the woman that night.