28:6 the Lord did not answer him. Saul’s inquiry is prompted by anxiety (v. 5), not piety, and the Lord’s refusal to answer is reminiscent of the threat of 8:18.

by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Saul rejected the Lord and as a consequence was rejected by the Lord (15:23 and note). This cut him off from the usual means of divine inquiry. Whereas David had the prophet Gad in his retinue (22:5), it is unlikely that a true prophet accompanied Saul. Moreover, the authentic ephod containing the Urim and Thummim (2:28 note) had come into David’s possession through Abiathar (23:6).