1 Samuel 28:3

1 Samuel 28:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.

Context of 1 Samuel 28:3

1At that time, the Philistine army joined together to fight against the Israelites. King Achish said to David, ‘I hope you know that you and your men must fight with me in the battle.’ 2David said, ‘Yes, sir. Then you will see how well I can fight!’ Achish replied, ‘Good. Then you will always be my guard to keep me safe.’ Samuel had died before this. All the Israelites had been very sad at his death. They had buried him in Ramah, the town where he had lived. When Samuel had been alive, Saul had removed magicians from Israel. Saul removed everyone who used magic to speak to the spirits of dead people. 4The Philistine army came together and they put up their tents at Shunem. Saul called together the whole Israelite army. They put up their tents at Gilboa. 5Saul saw the camp of the Philistine army. He became very afraid.

1 Samuel 28:3 word by word

וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל מֵ֔ת וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־לוֹ֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֥הוּ בָרָמָ֖ה וּבְעִיר֑וֹ וְשָׁא֗וּל הֵסִ֛יר הָאֹב֥וֹת וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים מֵהָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• was deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• had lamentedסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594
• him, and buriedקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
• him in Ramahרָמָהrâmâh · RamahH7414
• even in his own cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• had put awayסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• those that had familiar spiritsאוֹב'ôb · mediumH178
• and the wizardsיִדְּעֹנִיyidde‛ônîy · spiritistH3049
• out of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 28:3

• 1 Samuel 25:1Then Samuel died. All the Israelites met together and they were very sad. Then they buried Samuel at his home in Ramah. David went down to the Paran desert.
• Isaiah 57:1When somebody who worships God dies, nobody else may think much about it. An honest person may suddenly die. Nobody really understands what is happening. God takes away his servants, so that evil things will not hurt them any more.
• 1 Samuel 28:9But the woman said to him, ‘You know what King Saul has done. He has removed all the magicians from Israel. Are you using a trap to catch me? Do you want me to die?’
• Exodus 22:18You must punish with death any woman who is a magician.
• Leviticus 19:31They must not ask people who do magic to help them. That would make Israel's people unclean. I am the Lord your God.
• Leviticus 20:6A person must not ask someone who does magic for help. They are turning away from the Lord. He will send them away from his people.
• Deuteronomy 18:10Nobody among you must ever burn your child in a fire, as an offering. Nobody must use magic or other things to learn about future times. There must not be any magicians or diviners.
• Acts 16:16One day, we were going to the place where people prayed to God. On the way there, we met a slave girl. A bad spirit was living inside her. This spirit told her what would happen soon. People gave her masters a lot of money when she told them about these future things.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 28:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Samuel was dead - And there was no longer a public accredited prophet to consult. Those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards - See the note on Leviticus 19:31, and Exodus 22:18.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3It does not appear when Saul had suppressed witchcraft; it was probably in the early part of his reign. Familiar spirits … wizards - i. e. ventriloquists … wise or cunning men. See Leviticus 19:31 note.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3had removed … from the land: Saul had either forced most mediums (people who claimed they could communicate with the spirits of the dead) to leave the land or put them to death. Or he had made necromancy (the practice of trying to speak with the dead) illegal (see study note on 1 Samuel 28:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Now Samuel is dead, &c.--This event is here alluded to as affording an explanation of the secret and improper methods by which Saul sought information and direction in the present crisis of his affairs. Overwhelmed in perplexity and fear, he yet found the common and legitimate channels of communication with Heaven shut against him. And so, under the impulse of that dark, distempered, superstitious spirit which had overmastered him, he resolved, in…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 28:3

• Familiar Spirits
• Ramah
• Samuel
• Saul
• Witchcraft

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Samuel
• Saul
• Ramah
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Paul, Saul
• Along
• David
• Disquiet

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