1 Samuel 28:3
in 1 Samuel 28Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 28
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
It does not appear when Saul had suppressed witchcraft; it was probably in the early part of his reign. Familiar spirits ... wizards - i. e. ventriloquists ... wise or cunning men. See Lev 19:31 note.
This site's exposition
buried him in Ramah
Samuel is dead and mourned, and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land, as Leviticus 19:31 and Deuteronomy 18:10 to 11 require. The king who consults the dead does so against his own law. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the notice as the key to what follows.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
As has been said already, the sacred record, like a faithful mirror, has no flattery in its portraits and either itself passes sentence upon human actions as worthy of approval or disapproval or leaves the reader to do so. And not only does it distinguish people as blameworthy or praiseworthy, but it also takes notice of cases where the blameworthy deserved praise, and the praiseworthy blame. Thus, although Saul was blameworthy, it was not the less praiseworthy in him to examine so carefully who had eaten food during the curse and to pronounce the stern sentence in obedience to the commandment of God. So, too, he was right in banishing those that had familiar spirits and wizards out of the land. And although David was praiseworthy, we are not called on to approve or imitate his sins, which God rebukes by the prophet.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Now, Samuel was dead, etc. Josephus narrates that this happened two years before the death of Saul, writing thus (Antiq. VI, 14): "Saul reigned, with Samuel living for eighteen years, and for another two years after his death." Indeed, earlier in the order of history, …
And Saul removed all the magicians, etc. Magicians and soothsayers, the first of whom, commonly called sorcerers, use blood and sacrifices, and often touch the bodies of the dead, following (whom other translations call enchanters) accomplish their work with words; all these soothsayers and idolatries …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Saul's edict against witchcraft. He had put the laws in execution against those that had familiar spirits, who must not be suffered to live, Exod. xxii. Some think that he did this in the beginning of his reign, while he was under Samuel's influence; others think that it was lately done, for it is spoken of here (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Now Samuel was dead,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Now Samuel is dead, &c.--This event is here alluded to as affording an explanation of the secret and improper methods by which Saul sought information and direction in the present crisis of his affairs.
Samuel was dead - And there was no longer a public accredited prophet to consult. Those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards - See the note on Lev 19:31, and Exo 22:18.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל | ushemuel | and Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| מֵ֔ת | met | he had died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־ | vaiyispedu- | and they had mourned | H5594 → | |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | for <the> him | ||
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֥הוּ | vaiyikberuhu | and they had buried him | H6912 → | 133 times |
| בָרָמָ֖ה | varamah | in <the> Ramah | H7414 → | 36 times |
| וּבְעִיר֑וֹ | uveiro | <and> in own city his | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וְשָׁא֗וּל | veshaul | and Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| הֵסִ֛יר | hesir | he had removed | H5493 → | 299 times |
| הָאֹב֥וֹת | haovot | the necromancers | H178 → | 17 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים | haiyideonim | the soothsayers | H3049 → | |
| מֵהָאָֽרֶץ׃ | mehaaretz | from the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣לand Samuel
ushemuelH8050 →141 times
מֵ֔תhe had died
metH4191 →839 times
וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־and they had mourned
vaiyispedu-H5594 →
לוֹ֙for <the> him
lo
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֥הוּand they had buried him
vaiyikberuhuH6912 →133 times
בָרָמָ֖הin <the> Ramah
varamahH7414 →36 times
וּבְעִיר֑וֹ<and> in own city his
uveiroH5892 →1090 times
וְשָׁא֗וּלand Saul
veshaulH7586 →402 times
הֵסִ֛ירhe had removed
hesirH5493 →299 times
הָאֹב֥וֹתthe necromancers
haovotH178 →17 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖יםthe soothsayers
haiyideonimH3049 →
מֵהָאָֽרֶץ׃from the land
mehaaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 22:18You must not allow a sorceress to live.
it leads to
- Leviticus 20:27
A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 20:6
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 18:10–11
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- Leviticus 20:27
Through
Leviticus 20:27A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 19:31
Through
Leviticus 19:31You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
it leads to
- Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
- 2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking…
- Leviticus 20:6–7
Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
- Deuteronomy 18:10–14
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- Isaiah 8:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonJudges to monarchySamuelAsked of God by Hannah and lent to the LORD at Shiloh; the last judge and first of the prophets after Moses, who anointed both Sau…
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PlaceHill country of EphraimRamahSamuel's home town, the seat of his circuit as judge, the place David fled to, and the prophet's burial place.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Augustine of Hippo, AGAINST FAUSTUS, A MANICHAEAN 22.65; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.