1 Samuel 28:7

7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek 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, 1there is a woman who is a medium * at 2En-dor."

1 Samuel 28:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 28:7

Then said Saul unto his servants
That waited upon him, to some of them, to such as he could place most confidence in to keep a secret; perhaps only the two after mentioned:

seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and
inquire of her;
that was mistress of the bottle, a ventriloquist, that spoke out of her belly, or seemed to do; who had the spirit of Python or divination, conversed with the devil, and by his assistance pretended to bring up a dead person, and thereby foretell things to come; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 18:11); a woman is pitched upon, because such were most addicted to those wicked arts, and being of the weaker sex, were more easily imposed upon by Satan; and Saul showed himself to be as weak, to seek after such persons; but being left of God, he acted the part of a mad man, as well as of a bad man:

and his servants said to him, behold, [there is] a woman that hath a
familiar spirit at Endor;
a city in the tribe of Manasseh, of which see ( Joshua 17:11 ) ; it was not far from Gilboa. Mr. Maundrell speaks F3 of it as near Nain, at the foot of Mount Hermon; and turning, a little southward, he says, you have in view the high mountains of Gilboa. It is a tradition of the Jews F4 that this woman was the mother of Abner, the wife of Zephaniah; some say her name was Zephaniah; but, as Abarbinel observes, if so she would have known Saul, and also Saul would have known her, and what she was, if, as they say, she was spared because of her relation to him; nor needed he to have inquired of his servants for such a woman.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Journey from Aleppo, p. 115.
F4 Pirke Eliezer, c. 33. foi. 35. 2. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 1. Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 77. B.

1 Samuel 28:7 In-Context

5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly.
6 When Saul inquired of the LORD , the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek 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 woman who is a medium at En-dor."
8 Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, "Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you."
9 But the woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?"

Cross References 2

  • 1. Acts 16:16
  • 2. Joshua 17:11; Psalms 83:10
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