Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

"I saw a spirit"
1 Samuel 28:13

"And the king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. What did you see?’ And the woman said to Saul, ‘I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.’" (1 Samuel 28:13, NKJV)

This passage concerning Saul, Samuel and the witch of Endor, continues to raise problems for some readers, not least myself! A closer examination of just one feature of the story, therefore, is warranted.

Many have said that since the text says, "When the woman saw Samuel" (1 Samuel 28:12), it must have been Samuel on a simple literal reading of the text. Similarly it is said that Saul recognised Samuel, but this was based upon her description, "‘An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.’ And Saul perceived that it was Samuel" (1 Samuel 28:14), not his actual sight of him.

The problems with this are twofold. Firstly, the woman was a communicator with "familiar spirits" or עוּב 'ôbh in Hebrew (Strong's #178). Now when man is said, in the Hebrew bible, to have "spirit" the word used is rûach 'spirit' רוּחַ (Strong's #7307) so this woman was not communicating with rûach’s of the dead.

Furthermore, according to Ecclesiastes 12:7, "...the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it", so "spirit" returns to God, generally thought of as above, and only the dust and soul of man return to the earth, often thought of as She'ôl (Hebrew) or Hades (Greek) below.

Now the woman said she saw a "spirit ascending out of the earth", if Samuel’s spirit had returned to God then in biblical imagery it would be descending.

In addition, what the English text of the NKJV, GNB, CEV hide is that the word translated "spirit" is not the Hebrew רוּחַ rûach. Other translations render it by "a god" (ASV, RSV, NLT, ESV) or more recently "a divine being" (NAS, NRSV). The brand new TNIV translates it as a "ghostly figure". Only the original KJV, Catholic Douay-Rheims, Webster’s and Young’s Literal versions render it literally by "gods". They are accurate to the original Hebrew which reads עלהים ’elôhîym (Strong’s #430).

Now עלהים ’elôhîym is the regular word for God, but it is plural. Jewish and Hebrew grammar tradition render it by the one true "God" when it is accompanied by a singular verb as with, "In the beginning God(s) he-created..." (Genesis 1:1). When it has a plural verb it is considered to mean "angels" or "mighty men" or pagan "gods/idols". Here it is a masculine plural of the participle form of the verb אָלָה `âlâh "to ascend, go up" (Strong’s #5927) with the ending ים -îym agreeing with עלהים ’elôhîym. Thus, the correct literal rendering would be "gods ascending from the earth". Now this can neither be man’s "spirit" which is above nor God himself who is singular and also dwells "above". A fair understanding of the use of this word would either imply a "god-like being" or a false "god-angel", but not Samuel.

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