1 Samuel 28:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.

NIV: The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.

NASB: So the Philistines assembled and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in Gilboa.

CSB: The Philistines gathered and camped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel, and they camped at Gilboa.

NLT: The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.

KJV: And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

NKJV: Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa.

The Philistines are once again preparing for battle against the Israelites. Their goal is to take back control of the entire region. The massive Philistine army assembles at Shunem, in the northern part of Israel, south and west of the Sea of Galilee. The town is also on the southwest side of the Hill of Moreh, which sits in the middle of the Valley of Jezreel. Saul amasses an army of all of Israel and establishes a base at Mount Gilboa on the south end of the Valley. The two camps are not far apart.

When Saul sees the joined armies, he doesn't know what to do. No prophet of God offers guidance. God isn't giving him dreams. He's killed an entire city of priests (1 Samuel 22; 28:5–6). Everyone, including Saul, knows God's favor is now with David (1 Samuel 24:20). And he knows that God will allow enemies to overtake Sauil almost at will (1 Samuel 26:6–12).

Despite Saul's pattern of ignoring God's commands, he still wants Samuel's guidance. The only way he knows of to that is through a necromancer (1 Samuel 28:7).

First Samuel 28:3–7 records Saul's further fall into disobedience. When he sees the size of the Philistine army about to attack him, he's terrified and doesn't know what to do. Samuel the prophet is dead (1 Samuel 25:1), and God won't answer the remaining prophets. Saul sends his servants to find a medium: a profession he himself had outlawed. In disguise, he will meet the medium and receive terrifying news (1 Samuel 28:8–25).

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.

Accessed 10/14/2025 9:49:39 AM