Saul’s fear and recognition of Samuel’s form serve as a stark illustration of how turning away from God leads to isolation, confusion, and dire consequences.
“And he said to her, ‘What is his form?’ And she said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe.’ And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.” (v.14) In this poignant moment, King Saul, who reigned over Israel from around 1050 to 1010 BC, seeks guidance from a medium at Endor. Endor was a town located near the Jezreel Valley, traditionally east of the hill of Moreh, a region where travelers could find more remote individuals like this medium. Saul—driven by desperation as he faces the Philistine threat—asks the woman to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel, a key figure who led Israel as a judge and prophet before the rule of kings. The prophet Samuel lived during the transition from the time of judges to monarchy, roughly around the early 11th century BC, having anointed Saul as Israel’s first king prior to anointing David.
The verse describes how Saul recognizes the figure: “And Saul knew that it was Samuel” (v.14). Despite initially banishing mediums and spiritists from his land (1 Samuel 28:3), he covertly visits this medium in a final and forbidden attempt to receive divine guidance. The phrase “he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage” (v.14) points to a posture of profound respect or pleading desperation, indicating Saul’s acknowledgment that Samuel still held authority and insight from God, despite Samuel’s departure from this life. This scene foreshadows Saul’s tragic end, echoing the broader biblical theme that turning away from the LORD’s instruction leads to dire consequences (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). In the New Testament, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of divine communication, as God’s living Word (John 1:14), highlighting how God is determined to guide His people without them resorting to forbidden practices (Hebrews 1:1-2).
When “…an old man is coming up…” (v.14), the passage presents a striking image that validated Saul’s suspicion and fear. It cements the fact that Saul’s disobedience and desperate choices exposed him to spiritual peril through this encounter. Though God had spoken to Saul through a prophet in the past (1 Samuel 15:26), Saul’s decision to disregard that counsel led him down a path of isolation from the Lord. This profound event reminds readers that seeking God on His terms, rather than through hidden or unlawful channels, is the foundation of faithful living. It also underscores the importance of spiritual obedience, an idea that finds ultimate expression in Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father (Philippians 2:8).
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1 Samuel 28:14 meaning
“And he said to her, ‘What is his form?’ And she said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe.’ And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.” (v.14) In this poignant moment, King Saul, who reigned over Israel from around 1050 to 1010 BC, seeks guidance from a medium at Endor. Endor was a town located near the Jezreel Valley, traditionally east of the hill of Moreh, a region where travelers could find more remote individuals like this medium. Saul—driven by desperation as he faces the Philistine threat—asks the woman to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel, a key figure who led Israel as a judge and prophet before the rule of kings. The prophet Samuel lived during the transition from the time of judges to monarchy, roughly around the early 11th century BC, having anointed Saul as Israel’s first king prior to anointing David.
The verse describes how Saul recognizes the figure: “And Saul knew that it was Samuel” (v.14). Despite initially banishing mediums and spiritists from his land (1 Samuel 28:3), he covertly visits this medium in a final and forbidden attempt to receive divine guidance. The phrase “he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage” (v.14) points to a posture of profound respect or pleading desperation, indicating Saul’s acknowledgment that Samuel still held authority and insight from God, despite Samuel’s departure from this life. This scene foreshadows Saul’s tragic end, echoing the broader biblical theme that turning away from the LORD’s instruction leads to dire consequences (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). In the New Testament, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of divine communication, as God’s living Word (John 1:14), highlighting how God is determined to guide His people without them resorting to forbidden practices (Hebrews 1:1-2).
When “…an old man is coming up…” (v.14), the passage presents a striking image that validated Saul’s suspicion and fear. It cements the fact that Saul’s disobedience and desperate choices exposed him to spiritual peril through this encounter. Though God had spoken to Saul through a prophet in the past (1 Samuel 15:26), Saul’s decision to disregard that counsel led him down a path of isolation from the Lord. This profound event reminds readers that seeking God on His terms, rather than through hidden or unlawful channels, is the foundation of faithful living. It also underscores the importance of spiritual obedience, an idea that finds ultimate expression in Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father (Philippians 2:8).