I Samuel 28:3-14 · Bible study
1 Samuel 28:3-14 Commentary: Saul's Desperate Night at Endor
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why 1 Samuel 28:3-14 opens with Samuel's death and Saul's ban on mediums before the witch of Endor encounter.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Saul, desperate and silenced by God, seeks a medium he once outlawed, only to hear his own death sentence from the prophet Samuel.
- Key words: ’ob (medium/necromancy), yidd‘oni (wizard/soothsayer), ’elohim (gods/supernatural being), me’il (robe).
- Main debate: Was Samuel truly raised by God, or was it a demonic impersonation or the medium’s trick? Most commentators affirm a real, divinely permitted apparition.
- Theological theme: Divine judgment through silence; tragic irony of a king who destroys what he later embraces; the danger of seeking guidance outside God’s revealed will.
- Best use: A warning against turning to the occult in times of despair; a call to heed God’s voice while it is still present.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
3Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
4The Philistines came together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.
5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid and trembled violently.
6He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
7Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.
8So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”
9But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”
10Then Saul swore to her by the LORD: “As surely as the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this.”
11“Whom shall I bring up for you?” the woman asked. “Bring up Samuel,” he replied.
12But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
13“Do not be afraid,” the king replied. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.
14“What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.
WEB World English Bible 2000
3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had sent away those who had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land.
4The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa.
5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
6When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets.
7Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor.”
8Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. Then he said, “Please consult for me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to you.”
9The woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”
10Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, “As Yahweh lives, no punishment will happen to you for this thing.”
11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up to you?” He said, “Bring Samuel up for me.”
12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
13The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! What do you see?” The woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.”
14He said to her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe.” Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.
KJV King James Version 1769
3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En–dor.
8And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12And 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.
13And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa.
5And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
6And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.
8And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, Divine unto me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee.
9And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10And Saul sware to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12And 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.
13And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what seest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.
14And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
3And Samuel hath died, and all Israel mourn for him, and bury him in Ramah, even in his city, and Saul hath turned aside those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4And the Philistines are gathered, and come in, and encamp in Shunem, and Saul gathereth all Israel, and they encamp in Gilboa,
5and Saul seeth the camp of the Philistines, and feareth, and his heart trembleth greatly,
6and Saul asketh at Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not answered him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
7And Saul saith to his servants, `Seek for me a woman possessing a familiar spirit, and I go unto her, and inquire of her;' and his servants say unto him, `Lo, a woman possessing a familiar spirit in En-dor.'
8And Saul disguiseth himself and putteth on other garments, and goeth, he and two of the men with him, and they come in unto the woman by night, and he saith, `Divine, I pray thee, to me by the familiar spirit, and cause to come up to me him whom I say unto thee.'
9And the woman saith unto him, `Lo, thou hast known that which Saul hath done, that he hath cut off those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; and why art thou laying a snare for my soul--to put me to death?'
10And Saul sweareth to her by Jehovah, saying, `Jehovah liveth, punishment doth not meet thee for this thing.'
11And the woman saith, `Whom do I bring up to thee?' and he saith, `Samuel--bring up to me.'
12And the woman seeth Samuel, and crieth with a loud voice, and the woman speaketh unto Saul, saying, `Why hast thou deceived me--and thou Saul?'
13And the king saith to her, `Do not fear; for what hast thou seen?' and the woman saith unto Saul, `Gods I have seen coming up out of the earth.'
14And he saith to her, `What is his form?' and she saith, `An aged man is coming up, and he is covered with an upper robe;' and Saul knoweth that he is Samuel, and boweth--face to thee earth--and doth obeisance.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
3(Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and they had buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land.)
4And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa.
5And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6And Saul inquired of Jehovah; but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
7Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman that has a spirit of Python, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a spirit of Python at En-dor.
8And Saul disguised himself, and put on other garments, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine to me by the spirit of Python, and bring me [him] up whom I shall name to thee.
9And the woman said to him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul has done, how he has cut off the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land; and why layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10And Saul swore unto her by Jehovah, saying, [As] Jehovah liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? Even thou art Saul.
13And the king said to her, Be not afraid; but what didst thou see? And the woman said to Saul, I saw agod ascending out of the earth.
14And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel mourned for him, and buried him in Ramatha, his city. And Saul had put away all the magicians and soothsayers out of the land.
4And the Philistines were gathered together, and came and encamped in Sunam: and Saul also gathered together all Israel, and came to Gelboe.
5And Saul saw the army of the Philistines, and was afraid, and his heart was very much dismayed.
6And he consulted the Lord, and he answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by priests, nor by prophets.
7And Saul said to his servants: Seek me a woman that hath a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and enquire by her. And his servants said to him: There is a woman that hath a divining spirit at Endor.
8Then he disguised himself: and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, and he said to her: Divine to me by thy divining spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall tell thee.
9And the woman said to him: Behold thou knowest all that Saul hath done, and how he hath rooted out the magicians and soothsayers from the land: why then dost thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to be put to death?
10And Saul swore unto her by the Lord, saying: As the Lord liveth, there shall no evil happen to thee for this thing.
11And the woman said to him: Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and said to Saul: Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13And the king said to her: Fear not: what hast thou seen? and the woman said to Saul: I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14And he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 28:3
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that verses 3, 4 set the stage for one of the most tragic scenes in Scripture. The narrator deliberately reminds us that Samuel, Israel’s last great prophet, is dead and buried, and that Saul himself earlier expelled every medium and wizard from the land (Keil & Delitzsch; Gill). This is not background filler. It sharpens the irony: the king who once enforced God’s law against necromancy now seeks out the very practice he destroyed.
There is near-unanimity that Samuel actually appeared. Clarke states plainly that “Samuel did appear on this occasion” and that he was “neither raised by the power of the devil nor the incantations of the witch.” Barnes affirms that “the apparition of Samuel was real,” and the Cambridge Bible notes the woman’s terrified reaction, she cried out loudly, proves she saw something she did not expect. The main debate is whether God sent Samuel in response to Saul’s cry of desperation or whether the event was a divine judgment that used the medium’s arts against her intent. But the narrator’s point is clear: God is no longer answering Saul through any legitimate channel (v.6), so Saul, in his fear, turns to the forbidden. Every major commentator sees this as the turning point toward Saul’s final ruin.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Divinely permitted apparition: The text says the woman saw Samuel and Saul knew it was Samuel; commentators like Clarke and Barnes argue God overruled the medium's art.
- Demonic impersonation: Some later interpreters argue that a demon appeared in Samuel's form, citing the general prohibition of necromancy (Isa 8:19).
- Psychological or literary device: Modern critical scholars view the narrative as a retrospective theological explanation of Saul's death, not a literal event.
What is clear: The passage teaches that Saul's sin of consulting a medium was a final act of rebellion, and that God used the encounter to pronounce his irreversible judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reality of Samuel’s appearance | All major commentators (Clarke, Barnes, Cambridge, Gill, Keil & Delitzsch) agree the narrative presents Samuel as actually appearing. | Some later interpreters argue it was a demonic impersonation or a psychological projection; but the text itself gives no indication of deceit, and the woman’s shock suggests an unexpected reality. |
| Whether the medium had power to raise the dead | Christians throughout history agree that no human has inherent power over the dead; any such event is under God’s sovereignty. | Some traditions hold that God overruled the medium’s art and sent Samuel Himself; others suggest the medium’s familiar spirit was involved but God permitted it for judgment. |
| Saul’s inquiry of the Lord (v.6) | God did not answer Saul through any of the legitimate means. | 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 says Saul “inquired not of the Lord” because he turned to a medium. Some harmonize by saying his inquiry was not genuine repentance; others see a contradiction in the accounts and treat them as complementary perspectives. |
| Morality of Saul’s consultation | It was sinful and forbidden by Torah (Lev 19:31; Deut 18:10-11). | No debate: all traditions condemn the act. |
| Significance of the disguise | Saul disguised himself out of shame and fear of exposure (Clarke, Gill). | Some note the irony that the king who had power to execute mediums now hides from one; others emphasize that his disguise could not hide him from God’s judgment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Israel faced a full-scale Philistine invasion. The enemy camped at Shunem, a village on the northwest slope of the Hill of Moreh, while Saul gathered his troops on Mount Gilboa, about six miles to the southeast. The valley of Jezreel lay between them, ideal Philistine chariot country. Saul saw the vast army and, as the text says, “his heart trembled greatly” (v.5). His fear was not merely military. He knew God had left him.
In ancient Israel, legitimate inquiry of God came through three avenues: dreams, the Urim and Thummim (kept in the high priest’s breastplate), and prophets. But the high priest Abiathar had fled to David with the ephod (1 Sam 23:6), so the Urim was unavailable to Saul. Prophets like Samuel were dead. Dreams had ceased. The silence was total (v.6).
Into that vacuum stepped the occult. The Hebrew terms are ’ob (medium, literally “water-skin bottle,” used for necromancy) and yidd‘oni (wizard, “one who knows”). The Torah expressly forbade such practices (Lev 19:31; Lev 20:6,27; Deut 18:10-11). Saul himself had earlier “cut off” these practitioners from the land, the verb is hikrit, the same used for a covenant being cut, implying a thorough purge.
Endor lay about seven miles north of the Philistine camp, behind enemy lines. Saul traveled by night in disguise, with only two attendants. The darkness suited both his shame and his danger. The woman, terrified of a trap, only agreed to help after Saul swore an oath by Yahweh, an oath that shows how deeply compromised his conscience had become: he used God’s name to secure demonic assistance.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text is well preserved. In verse 13, the woman says “’elohim I have seen coming up out of the earth.” ’Elohim is plural in form but is here applied to a single divine or supernatural being; most versions render it “gods” (KJV, ASV) or “a god” (Darby, Douay). The Septuagint reads “gods” and adds “upright” in verse 14, describing the figure as “coming up upright.” The Cambridge Bible notes this may derive from a Rabbinic tradition that Samuel rose respectfully to honor the king. No variant affects the essential meaning: Samuel appeared and was recognized by Saul.
Reception History
This passage has troubled and fascinated Christians and Jews for centuries. Early church fathers like Augustine and Origen took the apparition of Samuel as real, though they differed on whether it was God’s act or a demonic illusion. The medieval Jewish commentator Rashi, following the Talmud, argued that the dead could be summoned only during the first twelve months after death, but Samuel had been dead longer, so the event required special divine intervention. During the Reformation, Martin Luther read the episode straightforwardly as a real appearance of Samuel permitted by God. The witch of Endor became a familiar figure in art and literature, often used as a cautionary example of the dangers of necromancy and the consequences of rejecting God’s prophets. In modern times, some scholars read the account as a literary fiction designed to highlight Saul’s tragic end, but the majority of conservative interpreters continue to affirm the historicity of the event. Across traditions, the passage has served as a solemn warning against seeking guidance from any source other than God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God’s silence is a judgment more terrifying than any enemy. When Saul inquired of the Lord, “Yahweh didn’t answer him” (v.6) through any channel. The absence of God’s voice was the loudest message of all.
- Desperation drives people to what they once condemned. Saul had banished mediums, yet he now seeks one out (v.7). Fear erases past convictions when hope is gone.
- Even when we get what we demand, we may wish we hadn’t. Samuel appeared, but only to pronounce doom (v.15-19). The encounter brought no comfort, only confirmation of judgment.
Five-Point Outline
- The backstory: Samuel dead, mediums banished (v.3).
- The crisis: Philistines at Shunem, Saul terrified at Gilboa (vv.4-5).
- The silence: God answers neither by dreams, Urim, nor prophets (v.6).
- The turn: Saul seeks a medium, disguises himself, and goes at night (vv.7-11).
- The confrontation: Samuel appears; the woman screams; Saul bows in dread (vv.12-14).
Illustration Hooks
- A parent whose teen has gone silent, never answering calls, texts, or emails. The quiet feels like abandonment, and the parent begins checking the teen’s social media for clues, hoping for any sign of life.
- A person who, after a failed medical diagnosis, turns to a psychic hotline for answers about the future. The thing they once dismissed as foolish now seems worth a try.
- A congregation that prays fervently for guidance on a major decision, a building project, a pastor call, a missionary assignment, and hears nothing but crickets. The temptation is to push ahead anyway, consulting every opinion except God’s.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- “When God seems silent, does that mean He has abandoned me?”
- “Is it ever okay to seek guidance from sources that claim to know the future, horoscopes, mediums, fortune tellers?”
- “How do I know if my fear is driving me away from God instead of toward Him?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to look at what happens when a person who once knew God walks so far from Him that ordinary prayer no longer seems to work. Saul is not an unbeliever, he still inquires of the Lord in verse 6. But his life has been marked by disobedience, and the channels of grace have closed. Small groups should explore the progression from fear to forbidden means, and what it teaches us about clinging to God even when He feels distant.
Discussion Questions
- Why does the narrator start verse 3 with Samuel’s death and Saul’s ban on mediums? What effect does that have on how we read the rest of the passage?
- Describe Saul’s emotional state in verses 4-5. How does his fear affect his judgment?
- God did not answer Saul “by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets” (v.6). What does this silence reveal about the state of Saul’s relationship with God? (See also 1 Chron 10:13-14.)
- Saul asks his servants to find a medium, a woman with a “familiar spirit.” Why does he go in disguise and at night (v.8)? What does this secrecy say about his conscience?
- The woman is terrified when she sees Samuel (v.12). What does her reaction tell us about whether she expected a real apparition or merely a trick?
- Saul perceives it is Samuel and bows with his face to the ground (v.14). Why does he show reverence to the prophet even though he has disobeyed God for years?
- When you face a crisis and prayer seems to go unanswered, what “alternatives” are you most tempted to consult? How can you guard against turning to them?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 22:18 | “You shall not allow a sorceress to live. |
| Leviticus 19:31 | “‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. |
| Leviticus 20:6 | “‘The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people. |
| Leviticus 20:27 | “‘A man or a woman that is a medium or is a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood shall be upon themselves.’” |
| Deuteronomy 18:10 | There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, |
| Deuteronomy 18:11 | or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. |
| I Samuel 7:17 | His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there. |
| I Samuel 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that Samuel truly appeared, but not because the woman's incantations raised him. Her familiar spirit did not appear at all, and she was visibly shocked and terrified at what she saw. The whole event was a sovereign act of God, entirely beyond her power.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that Saul's inquiry of the medium was not a neutral attempt to get guidance; it was directly opposed to seeking the Lord. He notes the woman was genuinely shocked when Samuel actually appeared, and the king's desperation shows one who had forsaken God and was now trying to move hell.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary assumes Samuel really appeared at Endor, not as an illusion or demonic trick. It resolves the apparent contradiction with 1 Chronicles by noting Saul did not humbly repent and persist in seeking God; instead he turned to necromancy, which amounted to apostasy. The commentator explains the Hebrew terms for the witch's familiar spirit and the wizard's knowledge.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues the apparition Saul saw was not the real Samuel but a demonic spectre imitating him. He finds it incredible that God would send the prophet from heaven at a witch's command, especially since God had already refused to answer Saul through any legitimate means.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB presents both sides of the debate over whether the witch of Endor actually raised Samuel. Many hold the apparition was likely a deception given her profession and Saul's distance, while others note her own surprise and the accurate prediction of Saul's death as evidence Samuel truly appeared. JFB leaves the question open, weighing the arguments evenly.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasizes that the woman's startled cry when she saw Samuel proves this was no ordinary necromantic trick. She was herself frightened by an apparition she could not produce or control. Her sudden recognition of Saul confirms a genuine supernatural event, not mere deception or demonic delusion.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the event was neither a real appearance of Samuel nor a demonic deception. He explains it as a psychological phenomenon: the woman, a professional necromancer, fell into an ecstatic trance and unconsciously identified herself with Samuel, uttering predictions that were natural inferences from Saul's desperate situation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the tragic irony of Saul’s fear-driven desperation. When God refused to answer him through dreams, Urim, or prophets, Saul chose not to humble himself in repentance but instead sought a witch. Henry sees this as a man preferring to knock at hell's gate rather than turn back to God.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists the woman truly saw Samuel, not a demonic impostor, because God arranged the appearance for His own glory. Her terrified reaction confirms she saw something far beyond a common ghost, prompting Saul to realize it was indeed the prophet he had once known.