Font Size
1 Samuel 28:3-6
New English Translation
1 Samuel 28:3-6
New English Translation
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown.[a] In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums[b] and magicians[c] from the land. 4 The Philistines assembled; they came and camped at Shunem. Saul mustered all Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified.[d] 6 So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him—not by dreams nor by Urim[e] nor by the prophets.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 28:3 tn Heb “in Ramah, even in his city.”
- 1 Samuel 28:3 tn The Hebrew term translated “mediums” actually refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits (see 2 Kgs 21:6). In v. 7 the witch of Endor is called the owner of a ritual pit. See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ʾÔḆ,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401. Here the term refers by metonymy to the owner of such a pit (see H. A. Hoffner, TDOT 1:133).
- 1 Samuel 28:3 sn See Isa 8:19 for another reference to magicians who attempted to conjure up underworld spirits.
- 1 Samuel 28:5 tn Heb “he was afraid, and his heart was very terrified.”
- 1 Samuel 28:6 sn See the note at 1 Sam 14:41.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.