1 Samuel 28:7
ESV
Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out 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 medium at En-dor."
NIV
Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said.
NASB
Then Saul said to his servants, 'Find for me a woman who is a medium, so 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.'
CSB
Saul then said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her." His servants replied, "There is a woman at En-dor who is a medium."
NLT
Saul then said to his advisers, 'Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.' His advisers replied, 'There is a medium at Endor.'
KJV
Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
NKJV
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”
What does 1 Samuel 28:7 mean?
Saul is terrified about the upcoming battle with the Philistines assembled as a massive army near his current position on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4–5). He's desperate for God's revelation and help. He's tried several different communication methods, but the Lord has remained silent (1 Samuel 28:6). Saul defied God and was cut off as a result (1 Samuel 15:23). Here, near the end of his life, he once again decides that his own judgment overrides God's direct commands.Now Saul decides that he needs to hear from Samuel, the prophet and mentor who first anointed him king over Israel (1 Samuel 10:1). The problem is that Samuel is dead (1 Samuel 28:3). God forbids His people from attempting to contact the dead (Deuteronomy 18:9–12). Yet Saul puts his plans ahead of God's law.
Despite Saul removing all mediums and necromancers from the land (1 Samuel 28:3), he knows there must still be some around. He tells his men to find a female medium, and they immediately answer him that there is one at the nearby city of En-dor. Mediums during this time were primarily women; this is partly why this woman later gained the nickname "the witch of Endor." The town of En-dor was on the other side of the Philistine camp from Saul's location.
