Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Verſ. 1. THe Philiſtines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight against Iſrael.] That is, not onelyonly Achiſh, but with him all the other Princes of the Philiſtines, encouraged no doubt by the diſtractions that were now in the land of Iſrael, and the weak ſtate of the kingdome by means hereof.
Verſ. 2. And David ſaid to Achiſh, Surely thou ſhalt know what thy ſervant can do.] The ambiguity of theſe words ſeems to imply, that he meant not fight againſt the people of God, though he durſt not but make ſemblance of being readie to do what the king ſhould require.
And Achiſh ſaid to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head forever.] That is, I will make thee Captain of my life-guard, ſo long as we ſhall live together.
Verſ. 2. Now Samuel was dead, &c.] This is here inſerted becauſe of the following ſtory, wherein is related how Saul being deſtitute of all counſell, ſought to have Samuel raiſed from the dead, that he might talk with him; of late Saul diſregarded Samuel, now he would have wiſhed he had been living.
And Saul put away thoſe that had familiar ſpirits, and the wizards, out of the land.] This is added to ſhew, that Saul ſeeking to the witch, ſinned againſt his own conſcience.
Verſ. 4. And the Philiſtines gathered themſelves together, and came, and pitched in Shunem.] A town in the border of Iſſachar, Joſh. 19.18.
Verſ. 5. And when Saul ſaw the hoſt of the Philiſtines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.] Through the terrours of a guilty conſcience, which now ſeized upon him.
Verſ. 6. And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord anſwered him not, &c.] How Saul enquired of the Lord it is not expreſſed, onelyonly this we may conclude that by Urim he could not enquire of God, & that becauſe Abiathar had carried away the high prieſts Ephod to David, wherein the Urim was, chap. 23.6. onelyonly becauſe the holy Ghoſt would the more fully expreſſe the comfortleſſe condition of Saul, how wholly he was forſaken of God, and left deſtitute of all direction from him; amongſt other wayes, whereby he could have no anſwer from God, this of the Urim is alſo put in; the Lord anſwered him not, neither by dreams nor by Ʋrim: to wit, becauſe the Urim was now with David, and not with him. Moſt probable it is, that Saul enquired of God, partly by prayer, partly by conſulting with the prieſts and Prophets: for it is evident in ſeverall places of this hiſtory, that there were at this time divers Colledges of Prophets in the land, and like enough it is, that though before he had killed Gods prieſts, and deſpiſed his Prophets, yet now in his diſtreſſe he was glad to ſeek both to prieſts and Prophets, to try if they could adviſe him, or would enquire of God in his behalf; but however, by what means ſoever he enquired, it was not done in faith (for had he ſought in faith, he would have continued ſeeking, and not have given over to run to a witch) and therefore, 1. Chron. 10.14. it is ſaid, that he enquired not of the Lord: and accordingly we ſee the Lord dealt with him; the Lord anſwered him not, neither one way nor other, which was an evidence that the Lord was highly diſpleaſed with him; for the like is mentioned we ſee elſewhere, as a great argument of Gods high indignation againſt his people, Lam. 2.9. The Law is no more, her Prophets alſo find no viſion from the Lord.
Verſ. 7. Then ſaid Saul to his ſervants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar ſpirit, &c.] It ſeems that in thoſe dayes women, by reaſon of their weakneſſe, were moſt deceived by Sathan, and brought to give themſelves to ſorcery and witchcraft; and therefore he commanded his ſervants to ſeek him out a woman that had a familiar ſpirit▪ not doubting but there were ſtill ſome of theſe, that lurked ſecretly in the land, though he had endeavoured to root them all out, verſ. 3. and this is here recorded as the laſt, and moſt deſperate wickedneſſe that he fell into, and upon which he was immediately cut off by Gods revenging hand, as is fully expreſſed, 1. Chron. 10, 13, 14.
Behold there is a woman hath a familiar ſpirit at Endor.] A town of the Manaſſites within Jordan, Joſh. 17.11.
Verſ. 8. And Saul diſguiſed himſelf, and put on other raiment, &c.] This he did not onelyonly that the witch might not know him, and ſo not fear to ſatisfie his deſire, but alſo doubtleſſe out of very ſhame, becauſe he now yielded to make uſe of thoſe baſe courſes, which himſelf ere while, had ſo ſeverely puniſhed.
Verſ. 9. Behold thou knoweſt what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off thoſe that have familiar ſpirits, &c.] Thus is Saul put in mind (even by the words of the witch, though ſhe intended it not) how hainouſly he now ſinned, in ſeeking to the devil for help, even againſt the light of his own conſcience.
Verſ. 10. As the Lord liveth, there ſhall no puniſhment happen to thee for this thing.] That is, I will not diſcover thee.
Verſ. 11. And he ſaid, Bring me up Samuel.] Saul deſpiſed Samuel when he lived, and would not follow his direction, and now his thoughts could be ſatisfied with nothing, but to ſpeak with Samuel, and rather then fail herein, he would go to a witch to raiſe up the Ghoſt of Samuel to talk with him.
Verſ. 12. And when the woman ſaw Samuel, ſhe cried out with a loud voice, &c.] It was not doubtleſſe Samuel himſelf that appeared now to the Witch, but the devil in Samuels likeneſſe: for firſt, the ſouls of Saints departed, are preſently at reſt with God, and are taken up when they die, out of the devils reach, he hath no power over the ſpirits of Gods faithfull ſervants departed; for then he would abuſe the ſouls of the dead at his pleaſure to deceive the living: ſecondly, it is no way likely that the Lord, who had ſo lately refuſed to anſwer Saul by the Prophets, would now raiſe up Samuel from the dead to anſwer him: we ſee what was ſaid in a like caſe to the rich man in hell: Luke 16.31. If they heare not Moſes, and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded though one roſe from the dead: thirdly, even the mantle wherein he appeared verſ. 14. was an evident ſigne, that all was counterfeit; for did Samuel think we, carry his mantle with him into heaven, or into the grave? fourthly, had the Prophet Samuel been ſent of God (which is the onelyonly evaſion the Papiſts have to maintain this errour; the witch, they ſay, did not conjure him up, but God ſent him to appear to Saul) he would never have ſaid as this counterfeit Samuel did, ver. 15. that the witch by Sauls means had raiſed him up, Why, ſaith he, haſt thou diſquieted me to bring me up? It was therefore doubtleſſe, by the witches inchantments that this Samuel was raiſed, and conſequently it was not Samuel indeed, but the devil in Samuels likeneſſe, and therefore called Samuel here: when the woman ſaw Samuel, &c. and that it was that made her cry out ſo violently as ſoon as ſhe ſaw him: when the devil was raiſed, it ſeems according to the accuſtomed manner, the witch was preſently poſſeſſed vvith a ſpirit of divination, and hereby knevv Saul, for vvhom ſhe had done this, and hereupon cried out, as apprehending he vvas come to enſnare her; that having diſcovered her he might put her to death: Why, ſaith ſhe, haſt thou deceived me? For thou art Saul: all vvhichwhich ſhevvs plainly, that the Authour of that Apocryphall book of Ecccleſiaſticus, vvrote not by the inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt, vvho ſaith of Samuel (as in relation to this hiſtory) chap. 46.20. After his death he prophecied, and ſhew the king his end, &c,
Verſ. 13. And the king ſaid unto her, be not afraid for what ſawest thou?] Hereby it appears, that Saul ſaw not the apparition at the firſt, though afterward he was admitted to the ſight of it; and that happely, becauſe the woman was at firſt apart by her ſelf, as witches indeed uſe not to be ſeen when they work their feats.
And the woman ſaid unto Saul, I ſaw gods aſcending out of the earth.] This ſhe ſpake, either becauſe he appeared in ſuch an attire, &c. that ſhe might eaſily perceive it was ſome Magiſtrate, or perſonage of great eminencie and worth, and ſuch are called Gods, Pſalme 82.6. I have ſaid ye are Gods: or elſe, becauſe this evil ſpirit, now a counterfeit Samuel, did riſe up with ſuch a divine kind of ſplendour and brightneſſe; as we know he can change himſelf into an Angel of light, 2. Cor. 11.14. That the poore woman unacquainted with ſuch apparitions, was even aſtoniſhed with beholding it.
Verſ. 14. And Saul perceived it was Samuel, and he ſtooped, &c.] Saul at length is admitted to the ſight of this counterfeit Samuel, though it ſeems he were not by, when the witch firſt conjured him up, verſ. 12.13. and ſo Saul addreſſing himſelf to enquire of this infernall prophet, the witch it ſeems withdrew her ſelf, as appears, verſ. 21, where it is afterwards ſaid, The woman came unto Saul, and ſaw that he was ſore troubled.
Verſ. 17. And the Lord hath done to him as he ſpake by me.] That is, to David; the man to whom the Lord hath betaken his favourable preſence ſince he departed from thee.
Verſ. 18. Becauſe thou obeyedſt not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath on Amalek, &c.] When Saul was in conſultation about ſparing Agag the Amalekite, the devil no doubt then ſuggeſted whatever might encourage and embolden him thereto, but now, when he come to be affrighted with the apprehenſion of Gods wrath, even that fact of his he alledged againſt him, thereby to adde to his terrours, and to drive him to deſpair, and that under a colour of ſpeaking as a Samuel.
Verſ. 19. And to morrow ſhalt thou and thy ſonnes be with me.] That is▪ ye ſhall be ſlain, and ſo not be any longer amongſt the living, but with me amongſt the dead: But how came the devil to be of Gods counſell, that he can ſo certainly determine the period of their lives? I anſwer, firſt, that the devil can and doth many times by ſtrong conjectures foretell many future things, which accordingly come to paſſe. Secondly, that he doth not here define the time of their death certainly, but ſpeaks darkly and deceitfully: for to morrow doth not onelyonly ſignifie the day immediately following, but alſo, the time to come indefinitely, Exod. 13.14. And it ſhall be when thy ſonne asketh thee in time to come, (or to morrow) what is this, thou ſhalt ſay unto him, &c. and Matth. 6.34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, &c.) as indeed it ſeems it was not the very next day, that Saul and his ſonnes fell before the Philiſtines: and ſo we ſee in another particular, he ſpeaks ambiguouſly, Thou and thy ſonnes ſhall be with me, which might either be meant of▪ their dying onelyonly, as ſpoken with reſpect to Samuel, or of being with Sathan; and then that as concerning Jonathan we are ſure he lyed groſſely; but thus will the devil ſtill preach comfort to thoſe at laſt that will not away with the preaching of Gods prophets, when they ſharply reprove them for their ſinnes.
Verſ 21. And the woman came unto Saul and ſaw that he was ſore troubled, &c.] Hereby it appears, that the witch had withdrawn her ſelf, whilſt Saul and her familiar ſpirit, then Samuels counterfeit, had been talking together.