And Saul disguised himself, and put on other
raiment
Stripped himself of his royal robes, or military apparel, as
supreme commander, and clothed himself in the habit of a peasant
or a common soldier; and this not only that he might not be known
by the woman, but that he might pass from his army incognito, and
it might not be known that he was gone, and especially whither he
was gone:
and he went, and two men with him:
these, according to the tradition of the Jews F5, were
Abner and Amasa; but it is not probable that Saul should leave
his army destitute of their general at such a time as this:
and they came to the woman by night;
not only that they might not be seen, but because it was a work
of darkness they were going about, and it was only in the night
season that such persons exercised their black art; though the
Jews F6 say it was day, only because of
their distress it was like tonight with them; but the literal
sense is best:
and he said, I pray thee divine unto me by the familiar
spirit;
exercise her art of divination, by the assistance of the familiar
spirit she conversed with:
and bring me up whom I shall name unto thee:
that is, from the dead; for necromancy was the kind of divination
she professed; and such persons pretended to have a power to
bring up a deceased person, and consult with him about secret and
future things.