1 Samuel 28:10

10 Then Saul made a sacred vow. "By the living Lord I promise that you will not be punished for doing this," he told her.

1 Samuel 28:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 28:10

And Saul sware to her by the Lord
By the Word of the Lord, as the Targum: it is much that Saul, being about such a work of darkness and wickedness, could take the name of the Lord into his mouth, and swear by him in such a solemn manner; which must surely put him in mind of his omniscience, from whom this wicked action could not be hid:

saying, [as] the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee
for this thing;
the tenor of the oath was, and so the woman understood it, that he would never make any discovery of what she did, and so she would be sat from punishment; though as he was the supreme governor, and a very arbitrary prince, had it been discovered, he could have screened her from justice, though contrary to the law of God; however, he could not secure her from eternal punishment.

1 Samuel 28:10 In-Context

8 So Saul disguised himself; he put on different clothes, and after dark he went with two of his men to see the woman. "Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is going to happen," he said to her. "Call up the spirit of the man I name."

9 The woman answered, "Surely you know what King Saul has done, how he forced the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. Why, then, are you trying to trap me and get me killed?"

10 Then Saul made a sacred vow. "By the living Lord I promise that you will not be punished for doing this," he told her.

11 "Whom shall I call up for you?" the woman asked. "Samuel," he answered.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and said to Saul, "Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!"