Summoning Samuel

In his desperation for guidance in the face of a massive Philistine invasion, Saul now goes to a medium. Ironically, on the occasion when Saul’s disobedience led to his rejection as king, Samuel said to him, ” ‘Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft’ ” (15:23a), and now Saul is rebelling by employing witchcraft. He knows he is doing wrong, for he earlier had attempted to expel all mediums and spiritists from Israel, and he now disguises himself to make his visit. What he does not seem to understand is that this attempt to learn what to do is utter foolishness. God already has refused to speak to him, so it is absurd of him to think that God will allow him to receive any useful guidance through “a cursed diabolical invention,” as Matthew Henry writes.

When he comes into the medium’s home, Saul asks her to conduct a séance and bring up a spirit from the dead. But the woman is fearful of Saul’s wrath; she obviously kept her black arts a secret during Saul’s purge, and she doesn’t want them discovered now. Sadly, she is more protective of her livelihood than of her soul. She fears to violate Saul’s law but not God’s Law. But Saul assures her that no harm will come to her, swearing an oath in the name of God even as he blatantly disobeys Him. It is his duty as Israel’s king to stamp out practices such as this woman employs, yet he promises to protect her.

Saul then asks the medium to call up the spirit of Samuel. As far as Scripture tells us, Saul never sought Samuel’s advice after Samuel retired to Ramah, even though it was quite close to Gibeah. Now Saul wants to speak with Samuel by a wicked method. Using unspecified black arts, the woman does indeed call Samuel’s spirit. Somehow, when she sees the spirit, she becomes aware of Saul’s true identity, and she is terrified. But Saul soothes her again, telling her not to be afraid and asking what she sees. She replies that a spirit is coming up from the earth, an old man wearing a “mantle,” or cloak. Hearing this, Saul concludes that Samuel’s spirit has indeed come, and he bows down. Henry believes this is actually the Devil in Samuel’s form, and other commentators have speculated that it is a conjurer’s trick or a vision of Samuel. But the plain meaning of the text seems clear enough, and the subsequent words of this old man lend credence to the idea that this is indeed the spirit of the prophet.