1 Samuel 28:13

1 Samuel 28:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”

Context of 1 Samuel 28:13

11The woman said, ‘Who is it that you want me to bring for you?’ Saul replied, ‘Bring Samuel to me.’ 12The woman screamed when she saw Samuel. She said to Saul, ‘You have deceived me! You are King Saul!’ The king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. Tell me what you can see.’ She replied, ‘I can see a spirit that is coming up from the ground.’ 14Saul asked, ‘What does he look like?’ She said, ‘I see an old man who is wearing a long coat.’ Saul realized that this was Samuel. He bent down low on his knees with his face towards the ground. 15Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you caused this trouble for me? Why have you brought me back?’ Saul said, ‘I have a lot of trouble. The Philistines are fighting against me. God has turned away from me. He will not use the prophets or give me dreams to answer my questions. So I have called you to come here. Please tell me what I should do.’

1 Samuel 28:13 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֥הּ הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אַל־תִּֽירְאִ֖י כִּ֣י מָ֣ה רָאִ֑ית וַתֹּ֤אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל אֱלֹהִ֣ים רָאִ֖יתִי עֹלִ֥ים מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto her, Be not afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• for what sawestרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• thou? And the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• unto Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• ascendingעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• out of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 28:13

• Exodus 4:16Aaron will speak to the people on your behalf. He will be like your mouth, to speak your message. And you will be like God to him. You will tell him what to say.
• Exodus 22:28Never insult God. Never curse anyone who is a leader of your people.
• Psalms 82:6I said, “You are gods. You are all sons of the Most High God.
• John 10:34Jesus answered them, ‘It is written in your own books of God's Law that God said, “You are gods.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 28:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13I saw gods ascending out of the earth - The word אלהום elohim, which we translate gods, is the word which is used for the Supreme Being throughout the Bible; but all the versions, the Chaldee excepted, translate it in the plural number, as we do. The Chaldee has, I see דיי מלאכא malacha dayeya, an angel of the Lord, ascending from the earth. This sight alarmed the woman; it was what she did not expect; in this she could not recognise her familiar, and she…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Gods - אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym is here used in a general sense of a supernatural appearance, either angel or spirit. Hell, or the place of the departed (compare 1 Samuel 28:19; 2 Samuel 12:23) is represented as under the earth Isaiah 14:9-10; Ezekiel 32:18.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-19Verses 7-19 When we go from the plain path of duty, every thing draws us further aside, and increases our perplexity and temptation. Saul desires the woman to bring one from the dead, with whom he wished to speak; this was expressly forbidden, De 18:11. All real or pretended witchcraft or conjuration, is a malicious or an ignorant attempt to gain knowledge or help from some creature, when it cannot be had from the Lord in the path of duty. While Samuel…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13Saul asked the medium to describe what she saw that caused her to scream. She described a divine being, a god (Hebrew ’elohim) coming up. erhaps she observed a human figure with a godlike or angelic appearance, or her use of the term god might reflect a pagan belief that a person becomes a god (a spirit possessing supernatural abilities) after death.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 28:13

• Clairvoyance
• En-Dor
• Familiar Spirits
• Miracles
• Necromancy
• Samuel
• Saul
• Sorcery
• Witchcraft

In the dictionaries

• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Along
• David
• Disquiet
• Divination
• Magic
• Warfare
• Witchcraft
• Ascend

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings