1 Samuel 28:21
in 1 Samuel 28When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thy handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
KJV
And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 28
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I took my life in my hands and did as you told me
on 1 Samuel 28:21-25
The woman whose craft Saul's law had outlawed is the one who feeds him. She slaughters a fattened calf, and Henry recalls that Josephus praised her kindness to a guest who could do nothing for her. The chapter ends in darkness, with Saul and his servants leaving that night.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore that woman came in to Saul, etc. And that faithless people, oppressed by so many calamities among the nations today, is troubled on all sides, so that not even the very words of sacred reading, which they still perceive in the darkness of ignorance, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and was very importunate with him to take some refreshment, that he might be able to get clear from her house, fearing that if he should be ill, especially if he should die there, she should be punished for it as a traitor, though she had escaped punishment as a witch. This, it is probable, rather than any sentiment of kindness, made her solicitous to help him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
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
And the woman came unto Saul,....
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתָּב֤וֹא | vatavo' | and she came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ | haishah | the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וַתֵּ֖רֶא | vatere' | and she saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִבְהַ֣ל | nivhal | he was terrified | H926 → | |
| מְאֹ֑ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| וַתֹּ֣אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| שָׁמְעָ֤ה | shameah | she has listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙ | shifchatekha | maidservant your | H8198 → | 63 times |
| בְּקוֹלֶ֔ךָ | bekolecha | to voice your | H6963 → | 506 times |
| וָאָשִׂ֤ים | vaasim | and I have put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| נַפְשִׁי֙ | nafshi | life my | H5315 → | 754 times |
| בְּכַפִּ֔י | bekhapi | in palm my | H3709 → | 192 times |
| וָֽאֶשְׁמַע֙ | vaeshma' | and I have listened to | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ | devareikha | words your | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ | dibarta | you have spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלָֽי׃ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַתָּב֤וֹאand she came
vatavo'H935 →2568 times
הָֽאִשָּׁה֙the woman
haishahH802 →781 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וַתֵּ֖רֶאand she saw
vatere'H7200 →1300 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נִבְהַ֣לhe was terrified
nivhalH926 →
מְאֹ֑דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
וַתֹּ֣אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
שָׁמְעָ֤הshe has listened
shameahH8085 →1159 times
שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙maidservant your
shifchatekhaH8198 →63 times
בְּקוֹלֶ֔ךָto voice your
bekolechaH6963 →506 times
וָאָשִׂ֤יםand I have put
vaasimH7760 →584 times
נַפְשִׁי֙life my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
בְּכַפִּ֔יin palm my
bekhapiH3709 →192 times
וָֽאֶשְׁמַע֙and I have listened to
vaeshma'H8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבָרֶ֔יךָwords your
devareikhaH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבַּ֖רְתָּyou have spoken
dibartaH1696 →1141 times
אֵלָֽי׃to me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 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
Judges 12:3When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 19:5
He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 119:109
I constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 13:14
Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?
- 1 Samuel 19:5
Through
1 Samuel 19:5He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 11:13
But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:14
But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.
- 1 Samuel 20:32
“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
- Matthew 27:4
“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”
- Judges 9:17
for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian,
- 1 Samuel 11:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.