1 Samuel 28:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."

NIV: When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"

NASB: When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, 'Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!'

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

NLT: When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, 'You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!'

KJV: And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

NKJV: When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”

King Saul is visiting a medium in hopes of guidance from Samuel's spirit. He is afraid of the upcoming battle with the Philistines. He knows he's breaking God's law—he even rid the land of mediums. But he's desperate. He disguises himself and reassures the witch she won't be harmed. Then he asks her to call up Samuel (1 Samuel 28:4–8).

Everything about the woman's reaction suggests this was not an ordinary spirit-summoning for her. Commentators speculate about what this means. Some suggest that the woman and most mediums were merely con artists who made their living by pretending to communicate with the dead loved ones of their clients. That certainly happens today. If that's the case, the woman would have been greatly surprised to see an actual spirit respond to her summons.

Other commentators suggest she falsely believed her powers produced the spirits of former humans when she had only been channeling demonic powers. Still others think she experienced the power of God working through her to produce Samuel, rather than the limited demonic power of her normal rituals. Whatever the case, this is clearly the power of God being used in an unusual way.

Scholars also debate whether this is truly the spirit of Samuel. This would be the only time in the Bible where a spirit of a dead person is brought back through witchcraft. Mediums either deceive their clients or are deceived by demons. Loved ones do not come back to earth as ghosts. There's a reason God strongly forbids necromancy: for our own protection (Leviticus 20:27). Some believe this "Samuel" is a mocking demon, who gives Saul terrifying bad news simply to torment him further. Only the medium personally sees anything (1 Samuel 28:13). As far as Saul and medium are concerned, however, this is the spirit of the prophet.

It's unknown what exactly revealed Saul's identity. Perhaps Samuel said Saul's name when he appeared. The woman feels deceived and may believe that Saul is about to have her killed for breaking his law.

First 1 Samuel 28:8–14 describes a controversial moment in the life of King Saul. The Philistines have amassed armies against Saul's. He's terrified that this is his doom. God refuses to speak. Samuel is gone. Saul puts on a disguise, goes to one of the few mediums who escaped his cleansing, and asks her to contact the dead prophet. When Samuel appears, she seems as surprised as everyone else. She also realizes her client is the king. Saul reassures the witch that she's safe, but Samuel does not have the same message for Saul (1 Samuel 28:15–19).

Israelites and the Philistines prepare for war. The Philistine king Achish demands that David fight with him against Israel. Terrified at the amassed Philistine army and unable to reach the Lord for help, Saul finds a medium to contact Samuel's spirit. Samuel repeats that the Lord has taken the kingdom from Saul and adds that Saul and his sons will fall, along with Israel, the next day. The medium serves Saul and his men a large meal, and the men leave under the cover of darkness. David is saved from having to fight his own people, but Saul and his sons do die. David will soon be king (1 Samuel 29; 31).

David and his men have escaped Saul (1 Samuel 27) and begun been fighting Israel's enemies under the protection of the Philistine king Achish (1 Samuel 28). Now, Achish wants David to fight Israel with him. Saul sees the Philistine army and is terrified. He finds a medium to call up Samuel's spirit. Samuel tells Saul that he, his sons, and Israel will fall. Fortunately, the other Philistine kings refuse to fight with David, and Achish sends him home. But Saul's sons are killed. Mortally wounded, Saul will take his own life (1 Samuel 29; 31).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.