1 Samuel 28
PATgrace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?. This lie said, that he might avoid envy. For perhaps he might have too much the port of a king; having so many men at his service, and being attended, no doubt, with a considerable number of them about his person. In a private town also he might more freely exercise his own religion; without any offence to the Philistines, who worshipped other gods. Ver. G. Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day.] Either out of his royal. bounty, or on condition of some service he should do him. Wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings ofJudah unto this day.] In the division of the land of Canaan it was first given unto the tribe of Judah, (Josh. xv. 31.) and afterward to that of Simeon, who had a portion out of the land given to Judah, (Josh. xix. 5.) But the Philistines kept possession of it, so that neither of them enjoyed it: till now it became by Achish’s gift the peculiar inheritance of David and his successors. the power of tho devil, appeared in his likeness. Several of the ancient fathers arc of the former opinion, and particularly Justin Martyr; who, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, alleges this as a demonstration of the immortality of the soul, p. 333. And most of tho Roman church are now of the same mind. But Tertullian saith, (in his book Dc Aniraa, cap. 57.) * God forbid we should believe the Soul of any holy man, much less of a prophet, should be brought up by the power of the devil." Of this persuasion are a great number of the ancients, particularly St. Cyril of Alexandria, who thinks it the greatest absurdity to believe that a wretched woman should call up Samuel’s soul; the demons, with whom such people deal, having no such power. And so St. Jerome calls this Samnelis phantasma. Yet there are vast numbers of modern authors, who think that by God’s permission, or dispensation, the soul of Samuel might appear; which Sir John Marsham himself takes riot to be improbable. (See Chron. Canon. xiiL) But the very letter of the text seems to me to be against this opinion; which speaks of bringing him up, and his coming up out of the earth; whereas, if it had been Samuel, he should rather have come down from heaven. This apparition, therefore, was one of those fallacious spirits, whom Porphyry speaks of (lib. ii. De Abstinentia), “who put on any shape, and counterfeit (as his words are) the gods, and demons, and the souls of the dead;” Tivog awaTriXriQ
1 Samuel 28:1
JjLnD it came to pass in those days. While David was in the country of the Philistines. That the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel.] Mustered all their forces to invade the land of Israel, being encouraged, it is probable, by the banishment of David, the death of Samuel, and the frenzy of Saul. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go with me to battle, thou and thy men.] Achish seems to have been the principal person in the country, and the commander of all their forces. For we read of no other king among them but he: who required David, who was now one of his subjects, to assist him in this warfare against his own native country.-
1 Samuel 28:2
And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. He answered in doubtful words, which might be taken in different senses. - * And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.] Achish understood him that he would do his best to serve him: and thereupon promised, if he did, that he would make him captain of his guard, or some great officer^ near to his person.
1 Samuel 28:3
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. This was noted before, (xxx. 1.) but repeated here again, to shew that Saul now was sensible of his loss, wanting his advice in a time of great distress. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.] According to the Divine commandment, (Lev. xx. 27.) which, perhaps, he had executed in the beginning of his reign, when he was governed by Samuel: or if he did it since, it was to shew that he had some zeal for God left, whereby he kept up his authority among the people.
1 Samuel 28:4
And the Philistines gathered themselves together. Met at an appointed place. And came and pitched in Shunem.] A place in the tribe of Issachar, as w T e learn from Josh. xix. 18. And Saul gathered all Israel together, and pitched in Gilboa.] A mountain near the valley of Jezreel, not far from Shunem: as that place in Joshua informs us. So that they seem to be pitched, as they were before the great battle w r as fought when Goliath fell, upon two mountains, with a valley between them.
1 Samuel 28:5
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines. Of which he had a full view from Mount Gilboa. He tvas afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.] For the Spirit of God having forsaken him, his courage very much failed him, when he saw how numerous the Philistinos # VI f Wf’II K-J’ CHAP. XXVIII.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. were, and heard, perhaps, that David was among them; and reflected.upon all the evil he had done unto him.
1 Samuel 28:6
And when Saul inquired of the. Lord. This seems to contradict what is said 1 Chron. x. 14. that he did. not inquire of the Lord: which was the reason that he slew him. But Kimchi and others thus reconcile these two places; that since he did not continue to inquire of him, but went to a witch, it was all one as if he had not inquired at all; for he did it faintly, coldly, and indifferently: resolving, if he. was not heard there,’ to>go to some other place for counsel. See Buxtorf, Hist. Urim et Thummim; who observes, out of Samuel Laniado, a learned Jew, that " he whose heart is perfect with God, lifts up his eyes unto him, and fixes them on him; hoping in him, though he doth, not presently, hear him: and perseveres in his hopes, firmly settling a resolution to wait upon him. But so did not Saul, who.was remiss and negligent, saying, If God will not hear me, I will go and consult a familiar spirit/’ „ 77/6 Lord answered him not.] Because he had killed his priests, as R. Solomon here notes. And by this means, as R.Levi ben Gersomhere farther observes, had nobody capable of the Holy Spirit to consult God for him. Neither by dreams.] By which he prayed, perhaps, that God would inform himself. Norbyuriin.] Kimchi thinks that he sent to Abiathar to inquire about the event of this war: for he had the urim with him. It is observable, that the Scripture never saith that God answered by thummim; for that is comprehended under urim: which is always put first when they are joined together, and here it is mentioned alone. (See.xxiii. G.) Nor by prophets.] A college of which, no doubt, was still remaining at Ramah; whom Samuel had educated. It will not be amiss to observe, that the same ways of inquiry were among the gentiles, as appears by what Achilles saith, in the council of the Greeks, who met to consider about the plague Apollo had sent among them: (Iliad, i. ver. 62.)‘AXX* aye 8// rtva fxavnv Ipdoptv fj teplqa, H feat ovctpoTroXov, (cal yap t ovao Ik A(OC eartv) Vg K.E17TOI: Where he reckons three sorts of men, a prophet, or a priest,.or an expounder of dreams; who mighttell why Apollo was so angry with them.
1 Samuel 28:7
And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines teas a full year and four months. How long he wandered up and down, till he settled here, we are no where told: but it is probable the persecution of Saul lasted a great while. Then said Said unto his seivants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that J may go, to her, and inquire of her. ~] In this he acted like a distracted man, who now approved what he had’condemned. He mentions a woman rather than a man; because the weaker sex were most addicted to these practices (being most easily deceived by evil spirits), among whom such a person he thought might be soonest found. And his servants said unto him, There is a woman that hath a familiar spirit.] There are always some flatterers in courts, who will never.contradict their princes; but are ready to comply with them in their worst designs. And it appears by this, that though this sort of divination was not publicly practised, yet it was known that there were some who privately continued to consult the dead. I say publicly, because it is very probable that before Saul executed the law against them, there were those that made profession of having familiar spirits, as there were among the heathen. For Plutarch, in the life of Cimon, speaks of Pausanias’ going to a NttcvouavTuov (an oracle of the dead). at Heraclea, where he called up the soul of Cleonice. At En-dor.] A place in the tribe of Manassefi, (Josh. xvii. 11.) not far from Shunem, as Salianus observes: and part of the mountain of Gilboa was over against En-dor," and another part of it against Shunem. This,woman, the Jewish doctors say, was the mother of Abner.,,
1 Samuel 28:8
And David and Ids men went out, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezerites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest toShur, even nnto the land ofEgtjpt.] The Geshurites and Gezerites were both of them relics of the Canaanites, whom God commanded to be rooted out. (See Grotius.) The Amalekites who were near had been destroyed by Saul, but not these that were afar off: or, perhaps, these were some that fled into these remote parts when they heard Saul was coming against them. And the following words (ver. 11, of David’s killing all) must bo understood, that he left none alive whom he found in these parts: but there still w r ere Amalekites in other places, (xxx. 1.) Abarbinel imagines all the people here mentioned were at enmity with Achish, and hated him and his people: so that when David smote them he made no complaint about it. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, and two servants with him.] He put off his royal apparel, and clothed himself like an ordinary man, having but a small attendance; that he might not be suspected to be what he was. These two servants, the Jewish doctors say, were Abner and Amasa. And they. came to the woman by night.] They could not go the direct way, for then they must have passed through the army of the Philistines: and therefore they fetched a compass, and travelled also by night, that they might not be discovered. And it is likely they went on foot, that less notice might be taken of them; and they might go and re-, turn through by-ways, which made their journey the longer. In the night also it was, that women went about such magical practices. For, as Psellus observes in his book of Demons, it is the common opinion of the Greeks, that none of the terrestrial demons dare appear in the day-time.‘EAArjvwc/jc Y«p €<n"t So^rjc to /urjStva rwv ivvXwv. oatfiovuv Sfc/opiiv Tag jov riXiov avyag: Nay, he saith all those things. were performed after the summer solstice; when the days grewshort, and the nights increased. And he said, Divine unto me by the familiar spirits, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.] This consulting the dead,.was a very ancient practice amonj the gentiles, as appears from Homer: but long before him, mentioned by Moses himself, who forbids it in Deut. xviii. 10. Notwithstanding which, the Israelites, who had a Divine oracle, and holy prophets to guide thein, fell into this foul sin, as Ihey did into most of the gentile abominations. %,
1 Samuel 28:9
And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.] To give an account of his actions, and to present him, I suppose, with part of the spoil. • And the ivoman said unto him? Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those who liave familiar spirits, and ivizards,outofthe land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?] For so the law was, (Lev. xx. 27.) And Saul seems by the woman’s speech to have executed it, for she saith he had cut them off; whereas it is only said, that he had put them away: as.if he had failed in his duty; and merely banished such persons, when ho should have put them to death.
1 Samuel 28:10
And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day?. For David, it is likely, constantly kept his men in exercise upon some expedition or other. ■ And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.] He answers Achish cunningly, in such ambiguous words, that he might understand him as if he had assaulted the land of Judah; whereas he only fell upon those people who bordered on thoso parts which he mentions. For these countries lay on the south of Judah: and the Jc* rahmeclites were a part of Judea, and the Kenites of the family of Jethro were their neighbours and confederates. And Saul sware unto her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.] An oath was so sacred a thing in those days, that they entirely relied upon it, and ventured their lives upon its credit.,..,,
1 Samuel 28:11
And David saved neither man nor ivoman alive to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell onus, staying, So did David, and so will be his maimer all’the ivhilehe dwellethin the country of the Philistines.’] Who had people of some countries thereabouts; perhaps tributaries to them, and under their protection: whom they might fear David would serve in the same manner, had they known how he dealt with these. Tlien said the woman, whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel]. It is a wonderful thing that he should believe a woman should have power to disturb the rest of Samuel, and bring him thither at her command. But he was forsaken by God, and grown* delirious. -
1 Samuel 28:12
And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. The enmity between him and his own people being, as he thought, irreconcilable, he must make him his friend by faithful service for ever. And when the woman saw Samuel.] Here interpreters are very much divided; some imagining it was Samuel himself that appeared; others, a spectre, which by
1 Samuel 28:14
And he said unto her, What form is he of?. This is an argument he saw nothing> but afterward heard a voice. And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.] Such as kings wore, and also prophets, who had very great authority, (xv. 27* 2 Kings ii. 8. 13.) Tho Hebrew word meil signifies as much as the Greek 7roBtipt)g, a long garment which came down to the feet. And Saul perceived that it teas Samuel, and he stooped ivith his face to the ground, and boived himself] By the description which the woman gave of him, he concluded it was Samuel; and thereupon made his reverence to him.
1 Samuel 28:15
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, and brought me up?. This shews it was an evil spirit, personating Samuel, who spake these words. For it is not in the power of witches to disturb the rest of good men, and to bring them into this world when they please. And Samuel, we may be sure, would never have acknow* ledged such a power in magical arts, the credit of which the devil endeavoured to support. And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philis* tines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make, known to me what I sJutll do.~] Some think he omits inquiry by urim, because, in truth, he neither did nor could make use of that: Abiathar having carried it away to David. But this doth not agree with ver. 6. which supposes ho did inquire by urim. Ho should rather, by repentance, and prayer, and sacrifices, and doing right to David, have besought the favour of God, as Pellicanus here well observes.
1 Samuel 28:16
And Samuel said to Said, Wherefore dost thou ask me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and become thine enemy?. Nothing could be more senseless than to imagine Samuel could do any thing for him, when the Lord, whose servant Samuel was, would not regard him.
1 Samuel 28:17
And the Lord hath done to him. That is, to David, mentioned in the conclusion of the verse. As he spake by me.] Still the evil spirit personates Samuel, that Saul might be deceived into a belief that it was really he who spake tohim. For the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even unto David.] As Samuel had foretold long ago; and now “it was Teady to be accomplished. Vcr. 18. Because thou obeyedstnot thevoiceoftheLordJ] This relates (Abarbinel thinks) to his sin in Gilgal, (chap, ■xiii.) Nor executed his fierce wrath upon Amalek.] This was his next sin, whereby he highly provoked God’s anger against him: for he was not sensible he had oflended.his express command, but justified his. conduct, till Samuel
1 Samuel 28:19
Moreover, the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines. Samuel himself eould no more know this, than an evil spirit; unless God had been pleased to suggest it: which he might think good to do to this ghost, which personated Samuel, that he might terrify Saul. Or, he saw the Philistines to be so numerous, and Saul so feeble and dispirited, that he doubted not the victory would be on the Philistines’ side; and therefore confidently pronounced it. But the former is more probable, that God used this evil spirit to declare his mind at this time: so that he spake nothing but by his direction. And to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons bexvith me.]. If we take the word to-morrow strictly, Eustathius, archbishop of Antioch, his argument against Origen is good, that this eould not be Samuel who spake, because his words are false: there being more than a day between this and the fight, as many have clearly proved from the story itself. But the meaning may be no more, than very shortly tli ou shalt be as I am, that is, dead. For, as. many have well observed (particularly Haekspan, in his disputation concerning Angels and Demons), by these.words, bewith me y “mors simplieitcrnotatur, non vero peeuliaris mortem secutus status;” death is simply noted, but not the state which follows after death. And the Lord shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.] He would not have him think his army should be able to defend him. Abarbincl observes, that he reckons up three judgments, in the very orderwherein they fell out (which shews all was spoken by God’s order); first, that the host of Israel should be delivered into the hand of the Philistines; then, that Saul and his sons should be slain; and, lastly, that the Philistines should come and dwell in their cities, (xxxi. 7.) which he takes to be the sense of the last words, which otherwise are only a repetition of the first.
1 Samuel 28:20
And Saul fell straightway’ all along on the earth, and was afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bi-eadall the day, nor all the night.] No wonder he fainted away, being weak in body for want of food; and extremely afflicted in mind by this dismal message, which Samuel, he thought, brought him from God.:
1 Samuel 28:21
And the woman came wito Said. These words suggest that Saul was in some private room, where he alone heard the words that were spoken by the apparition. Andsaiv that he was sore troubled, and said xinto him, Behold, thy handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in thy hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest vnto me.] She had exposed herself to extreme danger: for what we carry in our hand may easily fall out, or he snatched from us.
1 Samuel 28:22
Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee, arid eat; that thou mayest have strength when thou gocst on thy way.] For without some refreshvol. II. meht she saw it would be impossible for him to get to hjs camp again.
1 Samuel 28:23
But he refused, and said, I will not. He chose rather to die there than by the Philistines. But his servants, together with the zcoman, compelled him.] Pressed him so hard, that he yielded to them. • And lie hearkened to their voice.] Who knew nothing of what he had heard, but thought he had fainted away only for want of food. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.] As the manner (I observed before) then was; and not to lie along when they ate.
1 Samuel 28:24
And the woman had a fat calf in the house. The Hebrew word marbek is well translated fat, as Boehartus confesses, though it properly signifies (as he demonstrates) a calf that treads out the corn, and is fitted up by that means. (Hierozoieon, par. i. lib. ii. cap. 31.) And she hasted, and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof] Because there was no time to let’it ferment.’
1 Samuel 28:25
And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they arose up and went away that night. Before the break of day; that none might discover they had been with such a woman.