Bible Commentaries

men. Hebrew. ". enosh. App-14.

Surely = Therefore; which Achish repeats in his reply.

keeper of mine head: i.e. captain of my body-guard.

in Ramah, &c. Hebrew "in Ramah and in his own city". Figure of speech Hendiadys (App-6) = in his own city, Ramah.

had familiar spirits. Familiar spirits are demons pretending to be dead persons; hence the word "necromancy". See notes on Leviticus 19:31 and Isaiah 8:19.

wizards = wise, cunning, or knowing ones.

enquired = asked. Hebrew. sha"al, to ask. Not darash, "to seek out". See note on 1 Samuel 28:7, and 1 Chronicles 10:13, 1 Chronicles 10:14.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

answered him not. Not likely therefore to answer now by a way He had forbidden. Samuel had been dead two years.

Urim. See note on Exodus 28:30. Numbers 26:55. It must have been an ephod of his own making, as Abiathar the High Priest was with David. Saul makes no mention of this in 1 Samuel 28:13.

a woman. Answering to the modern "mediums".

hath = owneth, possesses as mistress. See note on Leviticus 19:31.

enquire = seek out. Hebrew. darash, a deeper meaning than 1 Samuel 28:6. See note above. Compare 1 Chronicles 10:13, 1 Chronicles 10:14.

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

by the familiar spirit. Hence called necromancy.

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

up. Note: not down, or forth. Compare 1 Samuel 28:13.

saw Samuel. Or, the materialisation of a deceiving spirit personating Samuel, as is done by "mediums" to-day.

she cried, &c. Evidently surprised, and getting more than she expected.

thou art Saul. How should she know this but by a communication from the spirit.

gods. Plural of Elohim. Either "a god "or a spirit manifestation.

out of the earth. Not down, or forth, as in John 11:43, John 11:44.

man. Hebrew. "ish. App-14. Not a spirit. mantle. If a spirit, why a mantle? Samuel's spirit was with God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And if Samuel's body, it would be with "grave-clothes" (John 11:44).

perceived = understood: i.e. from what the medium said. He saw nothing.

stooped = did obeisance.

Samuel said: i.e. the spirit personating Samuel said. Just as it is done in the present day by the medium: never directly.

disquieted. If Samuel, then it shows he was "quiet" before.

me. Not my spirit.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

no more. Therefore certainly not by means which He had expressly forbidden. See Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6, Leviticus 20:27. Deuteronomy 18:10, Deuteronomy 18:13, &c.

by prophets. Saul omits the reference to "Urim" because it would remind him of the murder of the priests (1 Samuel 22:18, 1 Samuel 22:19). See note on 1 Samuel 28:6.

Then said Samuel. Jehovah might have sent "a lying spirit", and given by it a true message, just as He did in 2 Chronicles 18:19-22. Nothing was said but what was well known before.

become thine enemy. The Septuagint reads "and hath come to be with thy neighbour". Compare 1 Samuel 28:17 with 1 Samuel 15:28.

as = according as.

by me = by my hand.

obeyedst not = hearkenedst not to.

wrath. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6, for the judgment in consequence of it.

with me: i.e. with the dead.

fell straightway = remained motionless. Compare Acts 9:7, where "stood.

speechless = remained speechless. See Acts 26:14. The two passages

together = fell, and remained so.

bread = food. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species). App-6.

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

house = shed.