1 Samuel 28:10

10 Then Saul swore to her by the Lord: "As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you because of this."

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 disguised himself by putting on different clothes and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, "Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I tell you."

9 But the woman said to him, "You surely know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why are you setting a trap for me to get me killed?"

10 Then Saul swore to her by the Lord: "As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you because of this."

11 "Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?" the woman asked. "Bring up Samuel for me," he answered.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, "Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!"