1 Samuel 28:8

1 Samuel 28:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
• New International Version (NIV)So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, "Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”

Context of 1 Samuel 28:8

6So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, either in dreams, or by the Urim, or by the prophets. 7Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.” Then Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “Consult the spirit for me, please, and bring up for me the one whom I shall name for you.” 9But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, that he has eliminated the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then setting a trap for my life, to bring about my death?” 10So Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

1 Samuel 28:8 word by word

וַיִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ שָׁא֗וּל וַיִּלְבַּשׁ֙ בְּגָדִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ ה֗וּא וּשְׁנֵ֤י אֲנָשִׁים֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה לָ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר קָֽסֳמִי נָ֥א לִי֙ בָּא֔וֹב וְהַ֣עֲלִי לִ֔י אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־אֹמַ֖ר אֵלָֽיִךְ׃Read the interlinear

• Then Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• disguisedחָפַשׂchâphaώ · to searchH2664
• himself by puttingלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
• differentאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
• clothesבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
• and wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• he and twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• with him, and they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Consultקָסַםqâsam · to divineH7080
• the spiritאוֹב'ôb · mediumH178
• for me, pleaseנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• bringעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 28:8

• 1 Kings 14:2And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now arise and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said regarding me that I would be king over this people.
• 1 Kings 22:30And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.
• Job 24:13“Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor stay in its paths.
• Jeremiah 23:24Can a person hide himself in hiding places So that I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.
• John 3:19And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.
• Deuteronomy 18:11or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead.
• 1 Chronicles 10:13So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of her,
• Isaiah 8:19When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should a people not consult their God? Should they consult the dead in behalf of the living?
• 1 Samuel 28:15And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am very distressed, for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has abandoned me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or in dreams; therefore I have called you, so that you may let me know what I should do.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 28:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Saul disguised himself - That he might not be known by the woman, lest she, being terrified, should refuse to use her art.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Divine - Compare to 1 Samuel 6:2, note; Numbers 23:23, note. Bring me him up - The art of the ventriloquist seems to have been always connected with necromancy. The Greeks had necromancers who called up departed spirits to give answers to those who consulted them.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. 3-14Saul consulted the dead, a practice forbidden by God’s law (see Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:9–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-87-8. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit--From the energetic measures which he himself had taken for extirpating the dealers in magical arts (the profession having been declared a capital offense), his most attached courtiers might have had reason to doubt the possibility of gratifying their master's wish. Anxious inquiries, however, led to the discovery of a woman living very secluded in the neighborhood, who had…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 28:8

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

In the dictionaries

• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Familiar spirit
• Along
• David
• Disquiet
• Divination
• Magic
• Warfare
• Witchcraft

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