| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| |
|
| 1 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered together their armies for warfare to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to the camp, thou and thy men. |
|
| 2 And David said to Achish, Thereby thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my person for ever. |
|
| |
|
| 3 (Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and they had buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land.) |
|
| 4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. |
|
| 5 And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. |
|
| 6 And Saul inquired of Jehovah; but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. |
Answered him not – He was out of fellowship with God. PD42/52
It is not for a moment supposable that God and Samuel, having refused to communicate with the king, would change and permit a witch, condemned by divine Law, to overrule the matter. PD42/52; R2172:3,4
Urim – The Urim and Thummim answers of the Lord to the inquiries of the people had ceased. R5615:5
|
| 7 Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman that has a spirit of Python, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a spirit of Python at En-dor. |
A familiar spirit – Familiar with the spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah. PD42/52
These fallen angels seek to make void the Word of God despite being restrained in "chains of darkness." (Jude 6) R4976:2
|
| |
|
| 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other garments, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine to me by the spirit of Python, and bring me him up whom I shall name to thee. |
Disguised himself – Endeavored in vain to do so as "from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people." (1 Sam. 9:2) R2172:2
Divine unto me – Make known. R755:4*
|
| 9 And the woman said to him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul has done, how he has cut off the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land; and why layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? |
|
| 10 And Saul swore unto her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. |
|
| 11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. |
Bring me up Samuel – Awaken Samuel. PD42/52
|
| 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? Even thou art Saul. |
Woman saw Samuel – The evil spirits caused to pass before the medium's mental vision the familiar likeness of Samuel. R2172:2
|
| 13 And the king said to her, Be not afraid; but what didst thou see? And the woman said to Saul, I saw a god ascending out of the earth. |
|
| 14 And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. |
And she said – Describing a mental or "astral" picture. HG726:2
Covered with a mantle – Saul did not enquire why Samuel wore the same old mantle as a spirit that he had worn as an earthly being. HG726:3
Saul perceived – When she described the mental (or astral) picture, Saul recognized it as Samuel. R2172:2, R4234:2
Saul saw nothing; the witch said she saw Samuel. PD42/52
And he stooped – He did not question how it could be that Samuel looked as old and stooped as before and wore a mantle if he was now a spirit being and far better off. R2172:2
|
| |
|
| 15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul said, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do. |
And Samuel said – The manner, style and sentiments of the dead prophet were assumed, the better to deceive. R2172:3
These "lying spirits" always seek to counterfeit the face, manner and disposition of the dead. R2172:3
Disquieted me – Corresponding to the Jewish belief that when a person had died he became unconscious in sheol, the grave waiting for a resurrection. R2172:3; HG726:4
To bring me up – Up from the grave, not down from heaven. R2172:3; HG726:4
Answereth me no more – Saul was easily deceived into thinking that while Samuel had refused to commune with him while alive, he had now been forced to commune with him by the powers of the witch. R2172:3
Neither by prophets – Hence Samuel would have had no right to give him any information which the Lord was unwilling to give him. HG726:5
I have called thee – His boldness in still attempting to ascertain the future is remarkable. He should have feared God's further displeasure in doing that which was forbidden. R4234:3
|
| 16 And Samuel said, Why then dost thou inquire of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? |
LORD is departed – See comments on 1Sam. 28:6.
Become thine enemy – The familiar spirit, impersonating Samuel, foretold nothing which Saul himself did not anticipate. R2172:4
|
| 17 And Jehovah has done for himself as he spoke by me; and Jehovah has rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbour, to David. |
LORD hath rent – Saul anticipated what he heard. He knew that the kingdom should be taken from him and his family. HG726:6
|
| 18 Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, and didst not execute his fierce anger upon Amalek, therefore has Jehovah done this thing to thee this day. |
|
| 19 And Jehovah will also give Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the army of Israel also will Jehovah give into the hand of the Philistines. |
And to morrow – Scholars say that the battle and the death of Saul occurred several days later.
Thou and thy sons – The familiar spirit erred--two of Saul's sons escaped and lived for years. R2172:5; HG727:1
Be with me – Would wicked Saul be with righteous Samuel? R754:6*
From the standpoint of the general faith then, that all who die go to sheol, the grave. R2172:6
Host of Israel – The demons could see that one day's battle would probably settle the question; and since Saul was already panicstricken the death of the king and his household would be the only logical result. R2172:5, R4234:2
Into the hand – Not that Satan is a prophet, but he is a student and believer of God's Word. R265:5
|
| |
|
| 20 And Saul fell straightway his full length on the earth, and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night. |
|
| 21 And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said to him, Behold, thy bondmaid has hearkened to thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened to thy words which thou spokest to me. |
|
| 22 And now, I pray thee, hearken thou also to the voice of thy bondmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way. |
|
| 23 But he refused and said, I will not eat. Then his servants, and the woman also, compelled him, and he hearkened to their voice; and he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. |
|
| 24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread thereof; |
|
| 25 and she brought it near before Saul, and before his servants, and they ate. And they rose up and went away that night. |
|