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1 Samuel 28:20

in 1 Samuel 28

Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground, terrified by the words of Samuel. And his strength was gone, because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon 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.

KJV

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.

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This verse in 1 Samuel 28

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth - Literally, he fell with his own length, or with the fullness of his stature. He was so overwhelmed with this most dreadful message, that he swooned away, and thus fell at his own length upon the ground. The woman, being terrified, had probably withdrawn to some distance at the first appearance of the prophet; and Saul was left alone with Samuel. After some short time, the woman came again unto Saul, found him sore troubled, and offered him those succours which humanity dictated.

This site's exposition

there was no strength in him

Saul collapses at full length on the ground, undone as much by a day and a night without bread as by the sentence he has just heard. John Wesley reads the fall as if the Philistines' arrows had already found him, the body giving out before the battle even begins. Adam Clarke notes that the woman had likely withdrawn during Samuel's appearance and returns only now to find the king alone and prostrate on her floor.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Samuel · Written before 735.

proposed

And immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, etc. Reading the words of the prophets, the people of the Jews celebrating vain sacrifices, indeed the wretched suffer terror, but they do not have the strength of faith by which they may be blessed, because …

The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Fell - As if the Archers of the Philistines had already hit him, and there was no strength in him, to bear up against these heavy tidings: especially, as we cannot doubt, but all his past sins were now brought to his remembrance and what authority has any man to affirm, that he felt no contrition all this time?

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

He was indeed unfit to bear it, having eaten nothing all the day before, nor that night. He came fasting from the camp, and continued fasting; not for want of food, but for want of an appetite. The fear he was in of the power of the Philistines (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever. 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth,....

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיְמַהֵ֣רand he made haste

    vaymaherH4116 →68 times

  • שָׁא֗וּלSaul

    shaulH7586 →402 times

  • וַיִּפֹּ֤לand he fell

    vaiyipolH5307 →435 times

  • מְלֹא־[the] fullness of

    melo'-H4393 →

  • קֽוֹמָתוֹ֙stature his

    komatoH6967 →

  • אַ֔רְצָה[the] ground towards

    ʾartzahH776 →2504 times

  • וַיִּרָ֥אand he was afraid

    vaiyira'H3372 →315 times

  • מְאֹ֖דexceedingly

    meodH3966 →300 times

  • מִדִּבְרֵ֣יfrom [the] words of

    midivreiH1697 →1440 times

  • שְׁמוּאֵ֑לSamuel

    shemuelH8050 →141 times

  • גַּם־also

    gam-H1571 →769 times

  • כֹּ֙חַ֙strength

    koachH3581 →126 times

  • לֹא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • הָ֣יָהit was

    hayahH1961 →3559 times

  • ב֔וֹin <the> him

    vo

  • כִּ֣יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לֹ֤אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • אָכַל֙he had eaten

    ʾakhalH398 →810 times

  • לֶ֔חֶםfood

    lechemH3899 →298 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הַיּ֖וֹםthe day

    haiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • וְכָל־and all

    vekholH3605 →5413 times

  • הַלָּֽיְלָה׃the night

    halayelahH3915 →233 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Isaiah 23:10Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a harbor.3 worksPsalms 50:21–22You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.2 worksJob 15:20–24A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.2 worksJob 26:2“How you have helped the powerless and saved the arm that is feeble!2 works1 Samuel 25:37In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him and he became like a stone.2 works1 Samuel 28:5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid and trembled violently.2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Psalms 73:19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Samuel 28:5

    When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid and trembled violently.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 10:24

      What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

    • Isaiah 21:3–4

      Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.

    • Job 18:11

      Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step.

    • Isaiah 7:2

      When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.

    • Psalms 48:5–6

      They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.

  • Through

    Job 26:2

    “How you have helped the powerless and saved the arm that is feeble!

    it leads to

    • Job 4:3–4

      Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.

    • Isaiah 35:3–4

      Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!

    • Isaiah 41:5–7

      The islands see and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About 1 Samuel

Saul and the Witch of Endor — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Saul and the Witch of Endor — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
1 Samuel: the study guide →Read 1 Samuel 28 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Samuel 28 →