1 Samuel 28:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, "Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me.

NIV: When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, "Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.

NASB: The woman came to Saul and saw that he was utterly horrified, and she said to him, 'Behold, your servant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.

CSB: The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, "Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.

NLT: When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, 'Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.

KJV: And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

NKJV: And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me.

When the medium greeted the three men who arrived in the middle of the night, she first refused to call up the dead. Her client assured her that she'd be safe. When her client asked for Samuel—and Samuel actually appeared—she realized she was speaking with Saul. As king of the Israelites, Saul had made it a point to rid the land of witchcraft. But when Saul, again, assured her she was safe, she transmitted Samuel's message to the king (1 Samuel 28:8–14).

The message isn't great. God has left Saul permanently. David will be king. The Philistines will decisively win the battle. Saul and there of his sons will die (1 Samuel 28:15–19). The news, combined with Saul's weakness from fasting, drops him to the ground (1 Samuel 28:20). The woman hadn't wanted the king to kill her, but now she doesn't want to be the cause of the king's death. She points out that she trusted him. Now, it's his time to trust her.

She gives him a little bread. His servants must convince him to take it. It's enough for him to sit up. Then she prepares a bigger meal which he and his men gratefully eat (1 Samuel 28:21–24). Saul now has the energy to face the day. He, his sons, and his army will make a valiant effort against the superior Philistines. But they will be defeated (1 Samuel 31).

First Samuel 28:20–25 records King Saul's last known meal on earth. This gives him just enough strength to meet his doom. He's about to face the combined armies of the Philistines. Samuel's spirit has told him the Philistines will win, and Saul and his sons will die (1 Samuel 28:3–19). Saul hasn't eaten and collapses on the ground. The witch prepares them food, and she and his servants convince him to eat. The next day, three of Saul's sons, including Jonathan, will die. When Saul is wounded, he will fall on his sword (1 Samuel 31). Because of Saul's rebellion against God, David will be king.

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.