Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

1 Samuel 28:12

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly. The woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - En-Dor;   Familiar Spirits;   Miracles;   Necromancy;   Samuel;   Saul;   Sorcery;   Witchcraft;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Divination;   Miracles through Evil Agents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Endor;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Descent into Hell (Hades);   Magic;   Sheol;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Magic;   Saul;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Saul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Divination and Magic;   Medium;   Samuel, Books of;   Urim and Thummim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   En-Dor;   Eschatology;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Descent into Hades;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Magic;   Saul;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Betray;   Communion with Demons;   En-Dor, Witch of;   Intercession;   Samuel;   Samuel, Books of;   Sheol;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Endor, the Witch of;   Samuel;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, “Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!”
Hebrew Names Version
When the woman saw Shemu'el, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Sha'ul, saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Sha'ul.
King James Version
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
Lexham English Bible
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and the woman said to Saul, "Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!"
English Standard Version
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."
New Century Version
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, "Why have you tricked me? You are Saul!"
Amplified Bible
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed with a loud voice; and she said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
New American Standard Bible
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceiued me? for thou art Saul.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the woman saw Samuel and cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul."
Contemporary English Version
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. Then she turned to Saul and said, "You've tricked me! You're the king!"
Complete Jewish Bible
When the woman saw Sh'mu'el, she let out a shriek. Then the woman said to Sha'ul, "Why have you deceived me? You yourself are Sha'ul!"
Darby Translation
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? Even thou art Saul.
Easy-to-Read Version
And it happened—the woman saw Samuel and screamed. She said to Saul, "You tricked me! You are Saul."
George Lamsa Translation
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and she said to Saul, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.
Good News Translation
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and said to Saul, "Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!"
Literal Translation
And the woman saw Samuel, and cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan ye woman sawe Samuel, she cryed loude, and sayde vnto Saul: Wherfore hast thou begyled me? Thou art Saul.
American Standard Version
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
Bible in Basic English
And the woman saw that it was Saul, and she gave a loud cry, and said to Saul, Why have you made use of deceit? for you are Saul.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and spake to Saul, saying: Why hast thou deceaued me? for thou art Saul.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying: 'Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.'
King James Version (1611)
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a lowd voyce; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceiued me? for thou art Saul.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the woman saw Samuel, and cried out with a loud voice: and the woman said to Saul, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
English Revised Version
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
Berean Standard Bible
But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli whanne the womman hadde seyn Samuel, sche criede with greet vois, and seide to Saul, Whi hast thou disseyued me? for thou art Saul.
Young's Literal Translation
And the woman seeth Samuel, and crieth with a loud voice, and the woman speaketh unto Saul, saying, `Why hast thou deceived me -- and thou Saul?'
Update Bible Version
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou [art] Saul.
World English Bible
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul.
New King James Version
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!"
New Living Translation
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, "You've deceived me! You are Saul!"
New Life Bible
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. She said to Saul, "Why have you fooled me? For you are Saul!"
New Revised Standard
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the woman saw Samuel, she made outcry with a loud voice, - and the woman spake unto Saul, saying - Wherefore hast thou deceived me, thou thyself being Saul?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and said to Saul: Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
Revised Standard Version
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."
THE MESSAGE
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly to Saul, "Why did you lie to me? You're Saul!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul."

Contextual Overview

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." 8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing and left, accompanied by two of his men. They came to the woman at night and said, "Use your ritual pit to conjure up for me the one I tell you." 9 But the woman said to him, "Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed the mediums and magicians from the land! Why are you trapping me so you can put me to death?" 10 But Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord , "As surely as the Lord lives, you will not incur guilt in this matter!" 11 The woman replied, "Who is it that I should bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up for me Samuel." 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly. The woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" 13 The king said to her, "Don't be afraid! What have you seen?" The woman replied to Saul, "I have seen one like a god coming up from the ground!" 14 He said to her, "What about his appearance?" She said, "An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!" Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou art Saul: 1 Samuel 28:3, 1 Kings 14:5

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 19:17 - Why hast Matthew 14:26 - they were

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance."
Genesis 15:12
When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, and great terror overwhelmed him.
Genesis 20:3
But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else's wife."
Genesis 28:1
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, "You must not marry a Canaanite woman!
Genesis 28:2
Leave immediately for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.
Genesis 28:5
So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Genesis 28:6
Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. As he blessed him, Isaac commanded him, "You must not marry a Canaanite woman."
Genesis 28:7
Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram.
Genesis 28:11
He reached a certain place where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones and placed it near his head. Then he fell asleep in that place
Genesis 28:12
and had a dream. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the woman saw Samuel,.... The appearance of him whom she took for Samuel; no mention is made of the methods she used to raise him, to check the curiosity of such as might be desirous to know them, and to prevent the imitation of them; though some think that Samuel, or the apparition, was seen before she made use of any, which surprised her; but this seems not so probable, and is only observed for the sake of an hypothesis; though it must be owned the word "when" is not in the text:

she cried with a loud voice; not so much frightened at what she saw, and the manner of his appearing, and as thinking the resurrection of the dead was come, as say the Jews b, as what she feared would be the consequence to her, even death by the hand of Saul; for though he had sworn no punishment should come upon her, she might begin to fear she was not safe, perceiving who he was:

and the woman spake to Saul, saying, why hast thou deceived me? for thou [art] Saul: how she knew this is a question; it could not be by the appearance of Samuel, for it was Samuel she was to bring up; unless with Ben Gersom it can be thought that she understood him of another man, whose name was Samuel, and not Samuel the prophet; and so when she saw him, concluded he was Saul, because of the intimacy between them in his lifetime; but this is not probable, nor does it appear that she as yet knew who it was, but rather she was told by her familiar spirit, or by the apparition, so Josephus c, that it was Saul that inquired of her; or she guessed at it by some gesture of the apparition to Saul, by way of homage and honour; and so Abarbinel thinks that the clause in

1 Samuel 28:14 respects not Saul's bowing to Samuel, but Samuel bowing to Saul; and so by this means the woman knew who he was.

b Pirke Eliezer, c. 33. c Antiqu. l. 6. c. 14. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is manifest both that the apparition of Samuel was real, and also that the woman was utterly unprepared for it.

Why hast thou deceived me ... - She perhaps inferred that Samuel would have answered the call of none inferior to the king. Or it may be the presence of an inhabitant of the world of spirits brought a sudden illumination to her mind.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 28:12. When the woman saw Samuel — That Samuel did appear on this occasion, is most evident from the text; nor can this be denied from any legitimate mode of interpretation: and it is as evident that he was neither raised by the power of the devil nor the incantations of the witch, for the appearances which took place at this time were such as she was wholly unacquainted with. Her familiar did not appear; and from the confused description she gives, it is fully evident that she was both surprised and alarmed at what she saw, being so widely different from what she expected to see.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile