1 Samuel 28:7

Contextual Overview

⁷ Then Saul said to his slaves, Seek me a woman that is mistress of a spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his slaves said to him, Look, there is a woman at En-dor that is mistress of a spirit. ⁷ Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor." ⁷ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En–dor. ⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium so I may go and ask her what will happen." His servants answered, "There is a medium in Endor." ⁷ So Saul instructed his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her." His servants replied to him, "There is a woman who is a medium in Endor." ⁷ Then said Saul to his servants, seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor. ⁷ Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. His servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at En-dor. ⁷Then Saul said to his servants, "Find for me a woman who is a medium [between the living and the dead], so that I may go to her and ask her advice." His servants said to him, "There is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at En-dor." ⁷ And Saul seide to hise seruauntis, Seke ye to me a womman hauynge a feend spekynge in the wombe; and Y schal go to hir, and Y schal axe bi hir. And hise seruauntis seiden to hym, A womman hauynge a feend spekynge in the wombe is in Endor.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Seek me: 2 Kings 1:2, 2 Kings 1:3, 2 Kings 6:33, Isaiah 8:19, Isaiah 8:20, Lamentations 3:25, Lamentations 3:26, Habakkuk 2:3

a familiar spirit: 1 Samuel 28:3, Deuteronomy 18:11, Isaiah 19:3, Acts 16:16

that I may: Leviticus 19:31, 1 Chronicles 10:13, Isaiah 8:19

Endor: En-dor, a city of Manasseh, was situated in the plain of Jezreel; and Eusebius and Jerome inform us, that it was a great town in their days, four miles south from Mount Tabor, near Nain, towards Scythopolis. This agrees with Maundrell, who says, that not many miles eastward of Tabor, you see mount Hermon, at the foot of which is seated Nain and Endor; and Burckhardt says, that in two hours and a half from Nazareth, towards Scythopolis or Bisan, they came to the village of Denouny, near which are the ruins of Endor; where the witch's grotto is shewn. Joshua 17:11, Psalms 83:10

Reciprocal: Leviticus 20:27 - a familiar Deuteronomy 18:10 - that useth divination Acts 19:19 - used

Cross-References

Genesis 27:43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran

Genesis 27:43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. And arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran.

Genesis 27:43
So, my son, do what I say. My brother Laban is living in Haran. Go to him at once!

Genesis 27:43
Now then, my son, do what I say. Run away immediately to my brother Laban in Haran.

Genesis 27:43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

Genesis 27:43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.

Genesis 27:43
"So now, my son, listen and do what I say; go, escape to my brother Laban in Haran!

Genesis 27:43
now therfor, my sone, here thou my vois, and rise thou, and fle to Laban, my brother, in Aran;

Genesis 27:43
and now, my son, hearken to my voice, and rise, flee for thyself unto Laban my brother, to Haran,

Genesis 27:43
So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Saul unto his servants,.... That waited upon him, to some of them, to such as he could place most confidence in to keep a secret; perhaps only the two after mentioned:

seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her; that was mistress of the bottle, a ventriloquist, that spoke out of her belly, or seemed to do; who had the spirit of Python or divination, conversed with the devil, and by his assistance pretended to bring up a dead person, and thereby foretell things to come; :-; a woman is pitched upon, because such were most addicted to those wicked arts, and being of the weaker sex, were more easily imposed upon by Satan; and Saul showed himself to be as weak, to seek after such persons; but being left of God, he acted the part of a mad man, as well as of a bad man:

and his servants said to him, behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor; a city in the tribe of Manasseh, of which see

Joshua 17:11; it was not far from Gilboa. Mr. Maundrell speaks c of it as near Nain, at the foot of Mount Hermon; and turning, a little southward, he says, you have in view the high mountains of Gilboa. It is a tradition of the Jews d that this woman was the mother of Abner, the wife of Zephaniah; some say her name was Zephaniah; but, as Abarbinel observes, if so she would have known Saul, and also Saul would have known her, and what she was, if, as they say, she was spared because of her relation to him; nor needed he to have inquired of his servants for such a woman.

c Journey from Aleppo, p. 115. d Pirke Eliezer, c. 33. foi. 35. 2. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 1. Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 77. B.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Enquire - A different word from that in 1 Samuel 28:6, though nearly synonymous with it. It is more frequently applied to inquiry of a false god, as e. g. 2 Kings 1:2; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3.

En-dor (see Joshua 11:2 note) was seven or eight miles from the slopes of Gilboa, on the north of little Hermon, where the Philistines were encamped; so that Saul must have run great risks in going there.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 28:7. Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit — Literally, Seek me a woman, בעלת אוב baalath ob, the mistress of the Ob or Pythonic spirit - one who had a familiar spirit, whom she could invoke when she pleased, and receive answers from him relative to futurity.

Strange that a man, who had banished all such from the land, as dangerous to the state, as impostors and deceivers, should now have recourse to them as the only persons in whom he could safely put his confidence in the time in which Jehovah had refused to help him!

At En-dor. — This was a city in the valley of Jezreel, at the foot of Mount Gilboa, where the army of Saul had now encamped.