1 Samuel 28:3-20 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:9

And the woman said unto him ,.... Not knowing who he was: behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done ; for by his speech and habit she perceived he was an Israelite, and so must be acquainted with what had passed in the nation, especially of a public nature, and which made a great noise, as doubtless this, lid: how he both cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards , out of the land ; as many of them as he had knowledge of, or information about; and by this it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:10

And Saul sware to her by the Lord ,.... By the Word of the Lord, as the Targum: it is much that Saul, being about such a work of darkness and wickedness, could take the name of the Lord into his mouth, and swear by him in such a solemn manner; which must surely put him in mind of his omniscience, from whom this wicked action could not be hid: saying, as the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing ; the tenor of the oath was, and so the woman understood it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:11

Then said the woman, whom shall I bring up unto thee ?.... For such persons, according to their profession, pretended they were able to bring up any of the dead, that he who inquired of them should name: and he said, bring me up Samuel ; the prophet Samuel he meant, and no doubt the woman so understood him, whose name was well known; he had been an old acquaintance and friend of Saul's, his counsellor and adviser in many things and though he greatly neglected him in the latter part of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:12

And when the woman saw Samuel ,.... The appearance of him whom she took for Samuel; no mention is made of the methods she used to raise him, to check the curiosity of such as might be desirous to know them, and to prevent the imitation of them; though some think that Samuel, or the apparition, was seen before she made use of any, which surprised her; but this seems not so probable, and is only observed for the sake of an hypothesis; though it must be owned the word "when" is not in the text:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:13

And the king said unto her, be not afraid ,.... Meaning not of the apparition, but of him; since he had sworn no punishment should come upon her, and he should inviolably observe his oath: for what sawest thou? for as yet Saul himself saw not anything, the woman being between him and the apparition; or she might be in another room with her familiar spirit performing the operations when Samuel appeared: and the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth ; a great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:14

And he said unto her, what form is he of ?.... Of what stature is he? or rather of what age does he seem to be? and what clothes has he on? as appears from the answer: and she said, an old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle ; such as either priests or judges wore, and Samuel did in his lifetime: and Saul perceived that it was Samuel ; by the description she gave of him, by his age and apparel; for as yet it is not certain that he himself saw him, though it should seem... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:15

And Samuel said to Saul, why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up ?.... This makes it a clear case that this was not the true Samuel; his soul was at rest in Abraham's bosom, in the state of bliss and happiness in heaven, and it was not in the power of men and devils to disquiet it; nor would he have talked of his being brought up, but rather of his coming down, had it been really he; much less would he have acknowledged that he was brought up by Saul, by means of a witch, and through the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:16

Then said Samuel, wherefore then dost thou, ask of me ,.... Whom thou knowest to have been a prophet of the Lord, and therefore can say nothing more or less than what comes from him, and is according to his will, if anything at all; the "devil" representing Samuel, whom Saul had called for, and reasons in such language as might be thought to be his own, though sometimes he betrays himself: seeing the Lord is departed from thee ; as Saul himself owned: to which he adds: and is become... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:17

And the Lord hath done to him ,.... To David, Saul's enemy, as he insinuated he was: as he spake by me ; pretending to be the true Samuel, and wearing the guise of him, he speaks his very words, which he was well acquainted with, and could deliver exactly as he did: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour ; which words are expressed by Samuel, 1 Samuel 15:28 , even unto David ; which is added by the apparition, by way of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:18

Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord ,.... At Gilgal, as Abarbinel thinks; which is the first thing for which the kingdom was threatened to be taken from him, 1 Samuel 13:13 , nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek : in sparing Agag, and the best of the cattle, 1 Samuel 15:9 , therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day ; forsaken him, rent his kingdom from him, and would deliver him into the hands of the Philistines, as follows: had he been the... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 28:18

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