1 Samuel 28:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

NIV: "What does he look like?" he asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

NASB: He said to her, 'How does he appear?' And she said, 'An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.' Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

CSB: Then Saul asked her, "What does he look like?" "An old man is coming up," she replied. "He’s wearing a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.

NLT: What does he look like?' Saul asked. 'He is an old man wrapped in a robe,' she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.

KJV: And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

NKJV: So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.

The medium Saul hired to summon the spirit of Samuel has been successful beyond her own expectations. Some scholars speculate she was a con artist, surprised to see an actual spirit arriving from beyond the grave. Others wonder if she was used to a less-powerful demonic response to her divination and was shocked to experience the true power of God bringing up the spirit of His prophet (1 Samuel 28:12–13).

Saul can't see Samuel himself and now asks the woman to tell him what the spirit looks like. She describes an old man wrapped in a robe. It's likely that Samuel wore a specific robe that identified him as a prophet of the Lord. Her description is enough for Saul. He bows with his face to the ground to honor Samuel and give him respect. Saul isn't worshiping Samuel as a god; he's respecting the prophet as a superior.

Samuel—or, possibly, the spirit imitating him—isn't impressed. He demands, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" (1 Samuel 28:15). When Saul says he wants guidance for the upcoming battle with the Philistines, Samuel gives him the only appropriate answer: Saul didn't follow God's guidance before. That's why God is no longer with Saul. So why would God help Saul now? David is going to be king, and Saul and his sons will die the next day (1 Samuel 28:16–19).

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.