1 Samuel Chapter 28
Saul and the Medium of Endor
The first two verses of this chapter connect with the previous narrative, therefore they are examined with the commentary on chapter 27.
A. Saul’s Distressing Situation
(1 Samuel 28:3-5) — “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. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.”
Samuel’s death was first recorded in 1 Samuel 25:1, and its mention here highlights the spiritual emptiness now left in Israel. Samuel had been the voice of divine counsel, the man through whom God’s will was made known. His absence emphasizes the vacuum that had formed in the land and in Saul’s heart.
Saul, in his earlier obedience to the Mosaic Law, had expelled all mediums and spiritists from Israel in accordance with the commands found in Leviticus 19:31, “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God,” and Leviticus 20:6, “And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.” Also, Deuteronomy 18:10-12 declares, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.” Saul had once followed these laws faithfully under Samuel’s influence, but his later actions reveal how far he drifted from his earlier conviction.
Modern practices such as tarot cards, palm reading, horoscopes, and Ouija boards are contemporary forms of the same sin. Even when pursued “for fun,” they open doors to demonic influence and deception. Scripture commands believers to avoid all such contact with the occult, for these things are not harmless entertainment but invitations for spiritual corruption.
When the Philistines encamped at Shunem, it represented a bold and strategic move. Shunem lies in the Valley of Jezreel, roughly twenty miles north of Aphek, the northernmost Philistine city. Their advance this far north demonstrated their intent to dominate Saul’s weakened kingdom and perhaps push further east toward the Jordan. Saul, meanwhile, gathered his army at Gilboa, but the scene reveals a stark contrast between Israel’s former victories and Saul’s present fear.
Once, under the Spirit’s power, Saul had been a courageous leader, as seen in 1 Samuel 11:6-11, when the Spirit of God came upon him mightily and he led Israel to victory over the Ammonites. But since 1 Samuel 16:14, when “the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul,” fear and instability had replaced faith and courage. Now, after Samuel’s death and without God’s presence, his courage had nearly vanished.
(1 Samuel 28:6) — “And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.”
Saul faced a dire situation. His enemies surrounded him, his courage failed, and heaven itself was silent. He sought divine counsel through dreams, through the Urim (the sacred lot used by the priests), and through the prophets, yet no answer came. The silence of God here is not indifference but judgment. Saul’s long pattern of rebellion had closed the channel of divine communication.
God does not always speak to those who seek Him if they persist in rejecting His revealed truth. Saul had repeatedly disregarded the word of the LORD, from his disobedience in 1 Samuel 13 and 15 to his relentless pursuit of David despite knowing that God had chosen David to replace him. Saul himself had acknowledged this truth in 1 Samuel 24:17-20, saying, “Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil… And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king.” Yet he continued to resist God’s plan.
When a man persistently rejects God’s known will, the Lord may finally withhold further revelation. The worst judgment a soul can face is divine silence. When God ceases to speak, it is not a sign that He cannot, but that He will not, until repentance comes. As Proverbs 1:24-28 warns, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded… Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.”
In Saul we see a tragic example of how spiritual compromise, once begun, leads to isolation from God. Once he had the guidance of Samuel, the Spirit’s empowerment, and victories from the LORD. Now he had none of them.
B. Saul Consults a Spirit Medium
(1 Samuel 28:7–8) — “Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. 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.”
When Saul could not receive a word from the LORD, he turned to a forbidden source. He said to his servants, “Find me a woman that hath a familiar spirit.” This reveals both the desperation and the depravity of Saul’s spiritual condition. In his earlier days he had obeyed God’s command to cast out all mediums and spiritists from the land, as written in Leviticus 20:27, “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.” Yet now he sought the very kind of person he had once condemned.
It was not easy to find such a woman in Israel, since Saul himself had previously driven them out, but his servants quickly reported that there was one in Endor, a village located on the northern side of the Hill of Moreh, about four miles northeast of Shunem. This means Saul had to pass dangerously close to the Philistine army to reach her. His desperation had blinded him to reason and danger alike.
Traditionally, this woman is called the “Witch of Endor.” The title is familiar, but technically she was a medium or necromancer, one who claimed to contact the dead. The Hebrew term ’ôb refers to the hollow, murmuring sound such a person made when supposedly channeling a spirit. The English term “medium” carries the same idea—a person acting as an intermediary between the realm of the living and the dead.
Saul disguised himself, changing clothes so that the woman would not recognize him as the very king who had outlawed her practice. In doing so, he further demonstrated his hypocrisy and fear of man rather than fear of God. He went by night, indicating both secrecy and shame, for his actions violated the Law of Moses. God had clearly warned in Leviticus 20:6, “And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.” Saul knew this, yet chose rebellion.
He said, “Bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee,” revealing his intent to summon Samuel. Saul sought Samuel’s guidance not out of reverence, but out of panic. He wanted the benefit of divine counsel without genuine repentance toward God. This was the height of his folly. He was seeking to learn the will of God through a channel God had expressly forbidden.
Once a man rejects truth, his reasoning becomes clouded. Saul, who had once been anointed by the Spirit, was now so spiritually blinded that he resorted to witchcraft to seek divine answers. His conscience was seared, his discernment gone. As 1 Timothy 4:1–2 warns, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” This perfectly describes Saul’s spiritual decay.
(1 Samuel 28:9–10) — “And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.”
The woman immediately suspected a trap. She feared that the man before her was attempting to expose her to Saul’s punishment for sorcery. Her words, “Wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life?” reveal her apprehension that she might be executed. Yet Saul reassured her with an oath, swearing in the name of the LORD that no harm would come to her.
This moment is one of the most tragic in Saul’s story. He invoked the holy name of God, “As the LORD liveth,” to protect a witch from punishment—while standing in direct rebellion against the same God. This was blasphemy masquerading as piety. Spiritual language means nothing when the heart is defiant. Saul used God’s name as a shield for his sin.
This was also the final recorded instance in which Saul used the name of the LORD. How fitting, and how tragic, that the last time Saul invoked God’s name was to promise safety to a medium whom the LORD had condemned. His words, “As the LORD liveth,” carry no authority, because the LORD had already departed from him.
The contrast between Saul and David is now complete. David, though hunted and wronged, continued to trust in God’s timing and refused to take matters into his own hands. Saul, consumed with fear and estranged from God, descended into superstition and darkness.
C. To the Medium’s Surprise, Samuel Appears
(1 Samuel 28:11–14) — “Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. 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. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.”
Saul requested, “Bring me up Samuel,” seeking the prophet who had once been his mentor and spiritual guide. Considering that Samuel had rebuked Saul sharply in life, it seems ironic that Saul would now desire his counsel from the grave. Yet this demonstrates Saul’s confused and desperate state of mind. He longed for the comfort of those early days when Samuel’s presence symbolized divine approval, forgetting that Samuel had become his adversary after Saul’s rebellion. 1 Samuel 13:13–14 records Samuel’s words, “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee… now thy kingdom shall not continue.” Again, in 1 Samuel 15:22–23, Samuel declared, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams… Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” Saul, blinded by fear, remembered the comfort of Samuel’s authority but not the condemnation that had fallen upon him.
When the woman actually saw Samuel, she “cried with a loud voice.” Her reaction was one of sheer terror and astonishment. This outcry strongly implies that she had never truly raised the dead before. Most of her prior “sessions” were likely fraudulent manipulations, typical of occult deception. Yet here, something real and divine occurred—something entirely outside of her control. Her terror suggests that the spirit world she was accustomed to dealing with was dark and demonic, and she suddenly found herself confronted by a holy and genuine manifestation. As Baldwin notes, this was “an extraordinary event for her, and a frightening one because she was not in control.”
She immediately realized that the man before her was Saul and exclaimed, “Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.” Fear seized her for two reasons: first, because she now stood before the very king who had outlawed her craft, and second, because she had just witnessed a supernatural event of a kind she had never known.
The text tells us that she said, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth.” The Hebrew word translated “gods” is elohim, which is plural and often used for the one true God as a mark of majesty. However, in this context, the woman—speaking from her pagan worldview—used it to describe what she perceived as a divine or otherworldly being. As Poole observes, “She useth the plural number, gods, either after the manner of the Hebrew language… or after the custom of the heathens.” She did not see “gods” in the literal sense, nor did she see Samuel as deified. Her vocabulary simply reflected her pagan frame of reference when confronted by a real supernatural presence.
Saul then asked, “What form is he of?” and the woman answered, “An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.” The mantle was Samuel’s distinguishing prophetic garment, symbolizing his authority. Upon hearing this, Saul “perceived that it was Samuel,” and he bowed with his face to the ground. This bowing was not worship, but an act of respect and submission to the prophet who had once been God’s spokesman to him.
This incident has long been debated. Several explanations have been offered through the centuries:
Some claim it was a hallucination produced by the woman’s imagination or Saul’s distress. This view cannot account for the woman’s fear or for the coherent, accurate words that Samuel would soon speak.
Some claim it was a deception by the medium, yet the narrative shows that she was shocked and terrified—hardly the reaction of a deceiver in control of her act.
Some claim it was a demonic impersonation of Samuel. While demonic forces can mimic and deceive, this view fails to explain the truthfulness and prophetic authority of Samuel’s message. A demon would not reinforce God’s judgment in line with Scripture.
The best explanation is that this was a genuine, divinely permitted appearance of Samuel, not by the power of the medium but by the sovereign will of God. The same God who allowed Moses and Elijah to appear with Christ in Matthew 17:3—“And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him”—could also allow Samuel to appear here for His purpose.
Adam Clarke wisely notes, “I believe that the woman of Endor had no power over Samuel; and that no incantation can avail over any departed saint of God.” Samuel’s appearance was entirely under God’s authority, not the witch’s manipulation. God overruled the medium’s sin to bring forth His servant one last time.
God allowed this extraordinary event for two purposes: first, to reaffirm His sentence of judgment against Saul, and second, to confront both Saul and the medium with the terrifying reality of divine power. Clarke writes, “I believe Samuel did actually appear to Saul; and that he was sent by the especial mercy of God to warn this infatuated king of his approaching death.” Similarly, G. Campbell Morgan adds, “He did not come in response to her call. He was sent of God, for the express purpose of rebuking Saul for his unholy traffic with these evil things, and to pronounce his doom.”
When men close their ears to God, He may speak in ways that unsettle and terrify them. Saul’s attempt to reach God through forbidden means ended in judgment, not guidance. The silence of heaven was broken only to confirm the certainty of Saul’s downfall.
D. Samuel Speaks to Saul
(1 Samuel 28:15–18) — “And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines 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 unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.”
Samuel’s first words were a rebuke: “Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?” These words reveal both the reality of Samuel’s conscious existence beyond death and his desire not to return. The prophet had been in a place of rest and blessing and did not wish to be disturbed. This verse affirms the conscious state of the redeemed dead and the reality of life after this one.
At this point in redemptive history, the righteous dead did not yet enter heaven itself, for Christ had not yet completed His atoning work. Jesus explained this in Luke 16:22–23, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments.” The believing dead before the cross were comforted in a separate place of blessing called Abraham’s bosom, awaiting the redemption that Christ would accomplish. When Christ died and rose again, He led those captives into glory, fulfilling Ephesians 4:8, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
Saul then confessed, “I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me.” His words summarize the tragedy of his entire reign. He feared the Philistines, but his greater terror was divine silence. He said, “God answereth me no more,” admitting that he had sought guidance by prophets and dreams but found none. This is the cry of a man under divine judgment. The LORD’s silence toward Saul was not neglect but justice. As Morgan wrote, “God never departs from a man until the man has departed from Him. Then, in the interests of righteousness, God is against that man.”
Saul’s final request reveals his true motive: “Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.” He wanted guidance, not repentance. His focus was not on restoring fellowship with God but on escaping immediate danger. Baldwin rightly observes, “Saul is asking for guidance when his course of action is obvious: he has to fight the Philistines. What he really wants is reassurance that all will be well.”
Samuel’s response was uncompromising: “Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?” If the LORD Himself would not speak to Saul, what did he hope to gain from Samuel? The prophet stood with God; therefore, the message would not change. This underscores a vital truth: when God’s word has already been revealed, seeking new revelation through other means is an act of rebellion.
Samuel declared, “The LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me.” The message of God was consistent from beginning to end. As in 1 Samuel 15:28–29, “And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.” The LORD had already spoken, and now the prophecy neared fulfillment. Time had not changed God’s decree; Saul’s unrepentant heart had sealed his fate.
Samuel reminded Saul of his earlier disobedience concerning the Amalekites: “Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek.” Saul’s sin from 1 Samuel 15 remained the root of his downfall. Fifteen years had passed since that act of rebellion, yet the unchanging God had not altered His judgment. Time never softens divine justice. Only genuine repentance can move the heart of God, as illustrated by 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Saul never reached that place of humility.
An important detail ties this moment to Saul’s earlier failure. When the medium described Samuel’s appearance, she said he was “covered with a mantle.” The Hebrew term for “mantle” (meheel) is the same word used for Samuel’s robe in 1 Samuel 15:27, when Saul grabbed it and tore it in desperation: “And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.” That torn garment became a prophetic symbol of the kingdom being torn from Saul’s hand. Now, years later, Samuel appears wearing that same mantle—perhaps even with the tear still visible—as a visible reminder of God’s unaltered judgment: “The LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David.”
The Lord’s word had not changed. No matter how much Saul desired a different outcome, the command and decree of God stood firm. Numbers 23:19 affirms this truth: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
This exchange stands as a solemn warning: when a man persistently rejects God’s word, divine silence and judgment follow. Saul had grieved the Spirit, disobeyed the prophet, and sought counsel from the forbidden. Now, at the end, he heard from Samuel only the confirmation of his doom.
E. Samuel Tells Saul of His Fate
(1 Samuel 28:19) — “Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
Samuel’s final words to Saul were not counsel, but a pronouncement of doom. He declared, “Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines.” This revealed that not only Saul, but the entire army of Israel, would fall in defeat. Saul’s earlier question in verse 15, “that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do,” was left unanswered because it was too late to do anything. The opportunity for repentance and obedience was long past. Samuel no longer brought a message of mercy, but of inevitable judgment.
“To morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.” These solemn words sealed Saul’s fate. Within twenty-four hours, he and his sons would die in battle on Mount Gilboa. This prophecy was fulfilled precisely in 1 Samuel 31:1–6, where Saul, wounded and surrounded, fell upon his own sword, and his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua—were slain beside him.
The phrase “with me” has often caused confusion. It does not mean that Saul would join Samuel in the same place of blessing. As Jesus explained in Luke 16:22–26, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments… And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.” Both the righteous and the unrighteous dead were in the same general realm of Sheol, yet separated by a great gulf. Samuel, being among the righteous, was in the place of comfort, while Saul would enter the place of torment. Samuel’s statement therefore refers to their being in the same general realm of the dead, not the same condition or destination.
This distinction aligns with the progressive revelation of the afterlife in Scripture. Before Christ’s atonement, the souls of all departed went to Sheol—the righteous to Abraham’s bosom, the wicked to a place of anguish. After Christ’s resurrection, the righteous were taken to heaven, while the wicked remain in torment awaiting final judgment, as described in Revelation 20:13–15, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them… And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.”
Samuel’s words also reveal a sobering truth about sin’s ripple effect. “The LORD will deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines.” The fall of Saul would bring calamity not only upon himself but upon his sons and his nation. Saul’s personal rebellion brought national defeat. The disobedience of one leader brought suffering to many. As Clarke laments, “Can any person read this, properly considering the situation of this unfortunate monarch, the triumph of the enemies of God, and the speedy ruin in which the godlike Jonathan is about to be involved, without feeling the keenest anguish of heart?”
This demonstrates the principle of Romans 14:7, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” Our choices affect others—family, friends, and entire communities. Saul’s sin did not remain private; it destroyed his household and exposed Israel to humiliation before her enemies.
Another spiritual lesson emerges here: the danger of presuming upon divine patience. Saul had years to repent—from his disobedience at Amalek to his relentless pursuit of David—but each warning went unheeded. He repeatedly ignored conviction and resisted God’s word, until finally the door of mercy closed. The Apostle Paul warned of such hardness in Romans 2:4–5, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath.”
We learn that the desire to repent and the opportunity to do so are both gifts from God. To assume that these will always be available is the height of folly. Saul’s tragedy warns us that sin, when continually excused, becomes fatal. Once judgment begins, it cannot be reversed without repentance—and Saul’s heart was far from broken.
Thus, the prophet who once anointed Saul now announces his end. The king who had once been chosen by God, empowered by the Spirit, and celebrated by Israel would die in disgrace, his kingdom torn from him, his legacy consumed by rebellion. As Proverbs 29:1 declares, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
F. Saul’s Reaction and Departure
(1 Samuel 28:20) — “Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.”
When Samuel’s words of judgment struck Saul, the king immediately collapsed in fear, falling prostrate upon the ground. The text emphasizes that he was “sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel.” Saul’s terror was not merely the fear of death, but the dread of facing eternity separated from God. He finally understood the full reality of what Samuel had declared long ago — that “the LORD hath departed from thee, and is become thine enemy.” The Philistines were not his greatest problem; his true adversary was the Almighty Himself. The man who once stood head and shoulders above Israel now lay face down, paralyzed by hopelessness.
The verse also tells us that “there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.” The physical weakness symbolized the spiritual depletion of Saul’s soul. The king who had feasted at banquets of victory now starved in despair. His refusal to eat showed that he was overwhelmed by fear and guilt, drained of all courage and resolve. The absence of physical nourishment paralleled the absence of divine sustenance in his life.
The Scriptures often describe such spiritual exhaustion as the result of separation from God. Isaiah 57:20–21 declares, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Saul’s heart was a restless sea, stirred by guilt and haunted by the knowledge that God’s judgment was irreversible.
(1 Samuel 28:21–25) — “And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way. But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.”
The woman, seeing Saul’s collapse, approached to comfort him, saying, “Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice.” It is a pitiful scene — the king of Israel, once the anointed of the LORD, now comforted by a witch. This shows how far Saul had fallen. The prophet who once guided him was now dead, and the Holy Spirit who once empowered him had departed. The only voice left to him was that of an occultist.
This encounter reveals the tragic irony of Saul’s condition: the king who once drove out the mediums now sat as their equal in rebellion against God. Both Saul and the woman stood condemned — both had defied the LORD’s command, and both were living under divine judgment. The text’s tone suggests a somber resignation; the woman’s act of feeding Saul is less an act of kindness than a grim preparation for death.
She urged him to eat “that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.” At first, Saul refused: “I will not eat.” His despair was complete. Yet under the urging of his servants and the woman, he finally relented. The meal that followed was like the final supper of a condemned man. Baldwin aptly observed, “The additional information, that within twenty-four hours he and his sons would be dead, was no help at all to his morale. Indeed he would have been better without it.”
The woman hastily prepared a fatted calf and unleavened bread — a meal that in ordinary circumstances might have symbolized hospitality and peace. But in this context, it was a shadow of death. Saul’s “last supper” was eaten in the house of a witch, not in the presence of prophets or priests. This irony powerfully underscores how sin isolates a man from godly fellowship.
When the meal ended, “they rose up, and went away that night.” The phrase marks the final descent of Saul into darkness — literally and spiritually. He left Endor resigned to his doom, stepping into the night that would soon become eternal. John 11:10 says, “But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.” Saul had walked in darkness for years, rejecting the light of God’s truth, and now he stumbled toward his destruction.
There is also a haunting parallel between Saul’s final night and Judas Iscariot’s in John 13:30, “He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” Both men rejected divine authority, sought their own way, and perished under the weight of their rebellion.
Saul’s last recorded act was eating a meal prepared by a medium — a sad symbol of his complete spiritual collapse. The once-great king who had led Israel to victory now went forth to die defeated, abandoned, and without the favor of God.
