Saul, at his lowest, is gently cared for and urged to find physical strength again.
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed (v.23). In this passage, King Saul (who reigned over Israel circa 1050-1010 BC) has just received a dire message through the medium at En-dor. Overcome by terror and weakness, he initially refuses any sustenance. The verse highlights Saul’s physical and emotional exhaustion—he has fallen to the ground, trembling at the realization of his fate. His servants and the medium, out of concern, respond with kindness and strongly persuade him to eat, reflecting the cultural importance of hospitality and the practical need for nourishment.
The medium at En-dor resided near the Israelite camp, though she was engaged in practices forbidden by the law of Moses (1 Samuel 28:3, 9). Even so, in this difficult moment, she and Saul’s attendants play a role of mercy to a king who has all but lost hope. When the text says, he listened to them, it marks a small yet significant return to reason for a king whose judgment has otherwise been severely compromised by disobedience to God. That Saul finally consented to receive food indicates his faint glimmer of submission in the face of his dire circumstances.
The final phrase, So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed, symbolizes a slight revival of Saul’s will, though the broader narrative makes clear that his ultimate downfall is near. Despite the gloom and doom of the situation, these acts of kindness from the servants and the woman at En-dor convey a poignant image of compassion: sometimes even in the midst of judgment, glimmers of human decency shine through.
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1 Samuel 28:23 meaning
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed (v.23). In this passage, King Saul (who reigned over Israel circa 1050-1010 BC) has just received a dire message through the medium at En-dor. Overcome by terror and weakness, he initially refuses any sustenance. The verse highlights Saul’s physical and emotional exhaustion—he has fallen to the ground, trembling at the realization of his fate. His servants and the medium, out of concern, respond with kindness and strongly persuade him to eat, reflecting the cultural importance of hospitality and the practical need for nourishment.
The medium at En-dor resided near the Israelite camp, though she was engaged in practices forbidden by the law of Moses (1 Samuel 28:3, 9). Even so, in this difficult moment, she and Saul’s attendants play a role of mercy to a king who has all but lost hope. When the text says, he listened to them, it marks a small yet significant return to reason for a king whose judgment has otherwise been severely compromised by disobedience to God. That Saul finally consented to receive food indicates his faint glimmer of submission in the face of his dire circumstances.
The final phrase, So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed, symbolizes a slight revival of Saul’s will, though the broader narrative makes clear that his ultimate downfall is near. Despite the gloom and doom of the situation, these acts of kindness from the servants and the woman at En-dor convey a poignant image of compassion: sometimes even in the midst of judgment, glimmers of human decency shine through.