_THE PHILISTINES PREPARING TO FIGHT AGAINST ISRAEL, SAUL, UNABLE TO OBTAIN ANY ANSWER FROM THE LORD, APPLIES TO A WOMAN WITH A FAMILIAR SPIRIT, WHOM HE ENTREATS TO BRING UP SAMUEL. SAMUEL APPEARS, REPROACHES THE KING, AND DENOUNCES HIS AND HIS SONS' DEATH ON THE MORROW._ _Before Christ 1055._... [ Continue Reading ]
IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS— The Philistines, recruited about this time, as Sir Isaac Newton judges, by vast numbers of men driven out of Egypt by Amasis, resolve upon a new war with Israel; nor were Samuel's death, and David's disgrace, as we may well judge, inconsiderable motives to it. Achish,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID SAUL—SEEK ME A WOMAN THAT HATH A FAMILIAR SPIRIT— Utterly forsaken of God, yet anxiously desirous of searching into futurity, Saul, who had prayed to God to no purpose, now resolved to apply himself to Samuel. To what will not fear and folly force us? In the days of his devotion, Saul had... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT SAWEST THOU?— It should be rendered, _but what sawest thou?_ The word translated _Gods,_ is אלהים _elohim._ The Chaldee renders it, _a messenger of the Lord._ Houbigant thinks that she speaks after the manner of idolators, who used to address in the plural the gods whom they worshipped; a c... [ Continue Reading ]
SAMUEL SAID TO SAUL, WHY HAST THOU DISQUIETED ME— Houbigant observes very justly, that Samuel complains not of the woman, but of _Saul,_ for disquieting him; whence it appears clear, that Samuel was not raised up by her magic arts, but by the will of God. Samuel's disquiet plainly arose from Saul's... [ Continue Reading ]
TO-MORROW SHALT THOU AND THY SONS BE WITH ME— Samuel predicts two things. I. That Saul, and his three sons who were with him in the camp, should be _with him; i.e_. should, like him, be in another world, or should die. II. That they should die on the morrow, or rather, _very shortly;_ for that is th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAUL FELL STRAIGHTWAY— Immediately after having pronounced the dreadful words in the former verse, Samuel disappeared, leaving the unhappy king in the most dreadful consternation. Saul, most probably, during the time of Samuel's appearance, had been left alone with him, the woman having retired... [ Continue Reading ]