1 Samuel 28
28
The Witch of Endor
1 In those days the Philistines gathered their troops#tn Heb “their camps.” for war in order to fight Israel. Achish said to David, “You should fully understand that you and your men must go with me into the battle.”#tc The translation follows the LXX (εἰς πόλεμον, eis polemon) and a Qumran ms מלחמה במלחמה ([m]lkhmh) bammilkhamah (“in the battle”) rather than the MT’s בַמַּחֲנֶה (bammakhaneh, “in the camp”; cf. NASB). While the MT reading is not impossible here, and although admittedly it is the harder reading, the variant fits the context better. The MT can be explained as a scribal error caused in part by the earlier occurrence of “camp” in this verse. 2 David replied to Achish, “That being the case, you will come to know what your servant can do!” Achish said to David, “Then I will make you my bodyguard#tn Heb “the guardian for my head.” from now on.”#tn Heb “all the days.”
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown.#tn Heb “in Ramah, even in his city.” In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums#tn The Hebrew term translated “mediums” actually refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits (see 2 Kgs 21:6). In v. 7 the witch of Endor is called the owner of a ritual pit. See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401. Here the term refers by metonymy to the owner of such a pit (see H. A. Hoffner, TDOT 1:133). and magicians#sn See Isa 8:19 for another reference to magicians who attempted to conjure up underworld spirits. from the land. 4 The Philistines assembled; they came and camped at Shunem. Saul mustered all Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified.#tn Heb “he was afraid, and his heart was very terrified.” 6 So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him – not by dreams nor by Urim#sn See the note at 1 Sam 14:41. nor by the prophets. 7 So Saul instructed his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,#tn Heb “an owner of a ritual pit.” See the note at v. 3. so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants replied to him, “There is a woman who is a medium in Endor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing and left, accompanied by two of his men. They came to the woman at night and said, “Use your ritual pit to conjure up for me the one I tell you.”#tn Heb “Use divination for me with the ritual pit and bring up for me the one whom I say to you.”
9 But the woman said to him, “Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed#tn Heb “how he has cut off.” the mediums and magicians#tn See the note at v. 3. from the land! Why are you trapping me#tn Heb “my life.” so you can put me to death?” 10 But Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not incur guilt in this matter!” 11 The woman replied, “Who is it that I should bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Samuel.”
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly.#tn Heb “in a great voice.” The woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” 13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! What have you seen?” The woman replied to Saul, “I have seen one like a god#tn Heb “gods.” The modifying participle (translated “coming up”) is plural, suggesting that underworld spirits are the referent. But in the following verse Saul understands the plural word to refer to a singular being. The reference is to the spirit of Samuel. coming up from the ground!” 14 He said to her, “What about his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!”
Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down. 15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me – not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.”
16 Samuel said, “Why are you asking me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done exactly as I prophesied!#tn Heb “just as he said by my hand.” The Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand and has given it to your neighbor David! 18 Since you did not obey the Lord#tn Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord.” and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this thing to you today. 19 The Lord will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines!#tn Heb “And the Lord will give also Israel along with you into the hand of the Philistines.” Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me.#tc With the exception of the Lucianic recension, the LXX has here “and tomorrow you and your sons with you will fall.” The Lord will also hand the army#tn Heb “camp.” of Israel over to the Philistines!”
20 Saul quickly fell full length on the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words. He was completely drained of energy,#tn Heb “also there was no strength in him.” not having eaten anything#tn Heb “food.” all that day and night. 21 When the woman came to Saul and saw how terrified he was, she said to him, “Your servant has done what you asked.#tn Heb “listened to your voice.” I took my life into my own hands and did what you told me.#tn Heb “listened to your words that you spoke to me.” 22 Now it’s your turn to listen to your servant! Let me set before you a bit of bread so that you can eat. When you regain your strength, you can go on your way.”
23 But he refused, saying, “I won’t eat!” Both his servants and the woman urged#tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading וַיִּפְצְרוּ (vayyiftseru, “and they pressed”; from the root פצר, psr) rather than the MT’s וַיִּפְרְצוּ (vayyifretsu, “and they broke forth”; from the root פרצ, prs). him to eat, so he gave in.#tn Heb “he listened to their voice.” He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed. 24 Now the woman#sn Masoretic mss of the Hebrew Bible mark this word as the half-way point in the book of Samuel, treating 1 and 2 Samuel as a single book. Similar notations are found at the midway point for all of the books of the Hebrew Bible. had a well-fed calf#tn Heb “a calf of the stall.” at her home that she quickly slaughtered. Taking some flour, she kneaded bread and baked it without leaven. 25 She brought it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and left that same night.
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1 Samuel 28
28
1Nowe at that time the Philistims assembled their bandes and armie to fight with Israel: therfore Achish said to Dauid, Be sure, thou shalt go out with me to the battel, thou, and thy men. 2And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt knowe, what thy seruant can doe. And Achish sayde to Dauid, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head for euer. 3(Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah his owne citie: and Saul had put away the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land) 4Then the Philistims assembled themselues, and came, and pitched in Shunem: and Saul assembled all Israel, and they pitched in Gilboa. 5And when Saul saw the hoste of the Philistims, he was afraid, and his heart was sore astonied. 6Therefore Saul asked counsel of the Lord, and the Lord answered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Vrim, nor yet by Prophets. 7Then saide Saul vnto his seruants, Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirite, that I may goe to her, and aske of her. And his seruants said to him, Beholde, there is a woman at En-dor that hath a familiar spirit. 8Then Saul changed him selfe, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he saide, I pray thee, coniecture vnto me by the familiar spirite, and bring me him vp whome I shall name vnto thee. 9And the woman saide vnto him, Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the southsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die? 10And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liueth, no harme shall come to thee for this thing. 11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring vp vnto thee? And he answered, Bring me vp Samuel. 12And when the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceiued me? for thou art Saul. 13And the King said vnto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said vnto Saul, I saw gods ascending vp out of the earth. 14Then he said vnto her, What facion is hee of? And she answered, An olde man commeth vp lapped in a mantel: and Saul knewe that it was Samuel, and he enclined his face to the grounde, and bowed him selfe. 15And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me vp? Then Saul answered, I am in great distresse: for the Philistims make warre against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by Prophetes, neither by dreames: therefore I haue called thee, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall doe. 16Then said Samuel, Wherefore then doest thou aske of me, seeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemie? 17Euen the Lord hath done to him, as hee spake by mine hande: for the Lord will rent the kingdome out of thine hande, and giue it thy neighbour Dauid. 18Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this vnto thee this day. 19Moreouer the Lord wil deliuer Israel with thee into the handes of the Philistims: and to morowe shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me, and the Lord shall giue the hoste of Israel into the handes of the Philistims. 20Then Saul fell streight way all along on the earth, and was sore afraide because of the wordes of Samuel, so that there was no strength in him: for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night. 21Then the woman came vnto Saul, and sawe that he was sore troubled, and said vnto him, See, thine handmaide hath obeyed thy voyce, and I haue put my soule in mine hande, and haue obeyed thy wordes which thou saydest vnto me. 22Now therefore, I pray thee, hearke thou also vnto ye voyce of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsell of bread before thee, that thou mayest eat and get thee strength, and go on thy iourney. 23But he refused, and said, I will not eate: but his seruants and the woman together compelled him, and he obeyed their voyce: so he arose from the earth, and sate on the bed. 24Nowe the woman had a fat calfe in the house, and she hasted, and killed it, and tooke floure and kneaded it, and baked of it vnleauened bread. 25Then she brought them before Saul, and before his seruants: and when they had eaten, they stoode, and went away the same night.
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