XXVIII. (1 Samuel 28:1) The Philistines Invade the Land with a great Force — Saul’s Fear — His Secret Visit to the Witch of En-dor, to Consult the Shade of Samuel. EXCURSUS L: ON WHAT HAPPENED AT EN-DOR? (1 Samuel 28). In all times the question taken as the title of this Excursus has excited deep... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHILISTINES GATHERED THEIR ARMIES TOGETHER FOR WARFARE. — This was evidently, as Jose-phus remarks, a great effort on the part of the Philistines. It was no ordinary raid or border incursion, such as seems to have been so frequent all through the reign of Saul. Since their defeat in the Valley o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DAVID SAID TO ACHISH. — Sorely perplexed, David temporises. He dares not refuse; and yet, the idea of commanding a Philistine division in a war with Israel was to him a terrible alternative. AND ACHISH SAID TO DAVID, THEREFORE WILL I MAKE THEE KEEPER OF MINE HEAD FOR EVER. — The King of Gath, l... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW SAMUEL WAS DEAD. — A statement here repeated to introduce the strange, sad story which follows. The LXX., followed by the Vulg. and Syriac Versions, omitted it, not understanding the reason for its repetition. AND SAUL HAD PUT AWAY THOSE THAT HAD FAMILIAR SPIRITS, AND THE WIZARDS, OUT OF THE LAN... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PITCHED IN SHUNEM. — As has been already described in the Note on 1 Samuel 27:1, the Philistine army had penetrated into the heart of Palestine, and, marching across the Valley of Jezreel, took up a strong position on the south-western slope of “Little Hermon,” near to the village, or town, of S... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS AFRAID. — There is no doubt that Saul was discouraged when he viewed the enemy’s ranks from the eminence of Gilboa. They were far more numerous than he had expected. But the real reason of his trembling must be looked for in the consciousness that God had forsaken him. Many of the well-known... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SAUL ENQUIRED OF THE LORD. — — The question has been asked, How was the enquiry made? for since the massacre at Nob, the high priest, or, at least, the priest in possession of the sacred ephod and the breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim, was, we know, in the camp of David, and we shall s... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEK ME A WOMAN THAT HATH A FAMILIAR SPIRIT. — He was left alone to himself, and now the last spark of life, the religious zeal which he had once shown even to excess, then also vanished; or, rather. as must always be the case when it has thus swerved from the moral principle which alone can guide i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL DISGUISED HIMSELF. — The disguise and the time chosen for the expedition served a double purpose. The king would, he thought, be unknown in the darkness and disguise when he came to the witch’s dwelling, and there was, too, a far greater probability of his escaping his Philistine foes, whos... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SAUL HATH DONE... — The law, re-enacted by Saul in earlier days, which made the practice of these dark arts a capital offence, was evidently still in force. Sorcerers and witches, like the woman of En-dor, had, no doubt, been often hunted down by means of informers. The woman possibly at first... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING ME UP SAMUEL. — A remarkable passage in the Babylonian Talmud evidently shows that, at all events in the Rabbinical Schools of a very early date, the bringing up of Samuel was looked upon as owing to the witch’s power. “ A Sadducee once said to Rabbi Abhu, ‘Ye say that the souls of the righte... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE WOMAN SAW SAMUEL, SHE CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE. — Nothing is more clear from the narration than that the woman of En-dor saw _something_ she never dreamed of seeing. Whatever _did_ appear that night was different from anything she had seen before. Whether or not she was an impostor matte... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_13_)_ I SAW GODS ASCENDING OUT OF THE EARTH. — The king at once calms the witch’s fears for her life, and impatiently, as it would seem, asks what she saw which called forth the cry of fear and terror. “Gods” — this is the rendering of the Hebrew word _Elohim._ The English Version, however, follo... [ Continue Reading ]
AN OLD MAN COMETH UP; AND HE IS COVERED WITH A MANTLE. — The “mantle_;”_ Heb., _m’il._ The garment so named was not a peculiar one, and bore no official signification; still, its mention here in this place would seem as though the woman _recognised the_ well-known _m’il_ which the prophet used to we... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAMUEL SAID TO SAUL, WHY HAST THOU DISQUIETED ME, TO BRING ME UP? — Erd-manu, in _Lange,_ argues from this that the incantation of the witch of En-dor had brought about the result, viz., the calling up of the shade of Samuel, and that hence the appearance of the prophet was not due to the comman... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THE LORD IS DEPARTED FROM THEE. — In other words, _If Jehovah have left thee, why comest thou to consult me, His servant and prophet?_ The Hebrew word here translated “enemy” is only found in Psalms 139:20 and has been assumed to be an Aramaic form — _ain_ for _tsadde._ There are, however, no... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD HATH DONE TO HIM. — Render, as in margin of the English Version, _the Lord hath done or performed for Himself._ The LXX. and Vulg. here needlessly change the text into, “the Lord hath done _to thee._” AND GIVEN IT TO THY NEIGHBOUR... DAVID. — An _evil_ spirit personating Samuel would n... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER THE LORD WILL ALSO DELIVER ISRAEL... INTO THE HANDS OF THE PHILISTINES. — Three crushing judgments, which were to come directly upon Saul, are contained in the prophet’s words related in this 19th verse. (_a_) The utter defeat of the army of Israel. (_b_) The violent death of Saul himself a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAUL FELL STRAIGHTWAY ALL ALONG ON THE EARTH. — Up to this period we must understand Saul listening to the prophet’s words in that attitude of humble reverence which he assumed when he perceived that he was in the presence of Samuel (1 Samuel 28:14); but now, on hearing the words of awful judgm... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMAN. — The story is completed in these few concluding verses (1 Samuel 28:21) in a most natural and unaffected style. The witch, though a grievous sinner, is struck with a woman’s pity for the stricken king, and with kind words and still kinder acts does her best to recover him from the de... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAT UPON THE BED — That is, upon the divan, or cushioned seat, which usually runs round the walls of rooms in Eastern dwellings. There is nothing in the narration to support the common idea, represented so often in painting, that the scene above related took place in a cave. The witch probably l... [ Continue Reading ]
UNLEAVENED BREAD. — There was no time to be lost; so she did not wait to leaven the dough, but at once baked it, and set it before the king.... [ Continue Reading ]
WENT AWAY THAT NIGHT. — The same night they retraced their steps, and returned to Gilboa. “Saul was too hardened in his sin to express any grief or pain, either on his own account or because of the predicted fate of his sons or his people. In stolid desperation he went to meet his destiny. This was... [ Continue Reading ]