1 Samuel 28:10

10 Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord. He promised the woman, "You can be sure that the LORD lives. And you can be just as sure that you won't be punished for helping me."

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 Saul put on different clothes so people wouldn't know who he was. At night he and two of his men went to see the woman. "I want you to talk to a spirit for me," he said. "Bring up the spirit of the dead person I choose."

9 But the woman said to him, "By now you must know what Saul has done. He has cut off everyone who gets messages from those who have died. He has also cut off everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead. He has thrown all of them out of the land. Why are you trying to trap me? Why do you want to have me put to death?"

10 Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord. He promised the woman, "You can be sure that the LORD lives. And you can be just as sure that you won't be punished for helping me."

11 Then the woman asked, "Whose spirit should I bring up for you?" "Bring Samuel up," he said.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she let out a loud scream. She said to Saul, "Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!"