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1 Samuel 28:11
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9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has acut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”  
10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a1a spirit ascending out of the earth.”  
14 So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with aa mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.  
15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you adisturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and bGod has departed from me and cdoes not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”  
16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy?
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
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1 Samuel 28:11

Whom shall I bring up - The woman certainly meant no more than making her familiar personify whomsoever the querist should wish. In the evocation of spirits this is all that, according to the professed rules of their art, such persons pretend to; for over human souls in paradise or in the infernal regions they have no power. If we allow that there is such an art founded on true principles, all it can pretend to is, to bring up the familiar; cause him when necessary to assume the form and character of some particular person, and to give such notices relative to futurity as he is able to collect. And this even in the cases to which authenticity is generally allowed, is often scanty, vague, and uncertain, for fallen spirits do not abound in knowledge: this is an attribute of God, and rays of this perfection are imparted to pure and holy intelligences; and even Satan himself, as may be seen from most of his temptations, is far from excelling in knowledge. He may be cunning and insidious, but he certainly is not wise and prudent; we in general give this fallen spirit credit for much more wisdom than he possesses.


 
<< 1 Samuel 28:10   1 Samuel 28:12 >>

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