Saul’s promise to the medium reveals his desperation and tragic disconnection from God’s will.
Then Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” (1 Samuel 28:10)
In this verse, King Saul (who reigned over Israel from around 1050 BC to 1010 BC) makes a solemn promise to a medium in Endor, guaranteeing that no harm would befall her for practicing something he knew was forbidden in Israel (Leviticus 19:31). Here, Saul swears by the very God who had previously rejected his kingship, revealing the extent of his desperation and fear as he sought supernatural counsel on the eve of a critical battle against the Philistines. By invoking the LORD’s name, Saul ironically leverages the sacred oath of Israel’s covenant God to shield the medium from the law he was bound to uphold, thereby revealing a dramatic conflict between the king’s actions and God’s commandments.
Historically, this event occurs near the end of Saul’s forty-year reign. Feeling abandoned by God and seeking a voice from beyond, Saul visits a medium in Endor, a place north of Shunem in the northern region of Israel, despite having previously expelled spiritists from the land. His vow in the name of the LORD underscores the biblical theme of human frailty: even as he uses God’s name, Saul demonstrates his distance from the LORD and exemplifies how fear can drive someone to violate the commands they had once staunchly proclaimed.
Consistent with the overall biblical narrative, this incident highlights that God’s people are not to turn to forbidden spiritual practices for guidance, but to rely upon the LORD for wisdom and direction—through the prophets in the Old Testament and ultimately through Jesus Christ in the New. Saul’s attempt to protect the medium foreshadows his impending downfall, as he refused to truly repent and submit to the authority of the God he invoked.
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1 Samuel 28:10 meaning
Then Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” (1 Samuel 28:10)
In this verse, King Saul (who reigned over Israel from around 1050 BC to 1010 BC) makes a solemn promise to a medium in Endor, guaranteeing that no harm would befall her for practicing something he knew was forbidden in Israel (Leviticus 19:31). Here, Saul swears by the very God who had previously rejected his kingship, revealing the extent of his desperation and fear as he sought supernatural counsel on the eve of a critical battle against the Philistines. By invoking the LORD’s name, Saul ironically leverages the sacred oath of Israel’s covenant God to shield the medium from the law he was bound to uphold, thereby revealing a dramatic conflict between the king’s actions and God’s commandments.
Historically, this event occurs near the end of Saul’s forty-year reign. Feeling abandoned by God and seeking a voice from beyond, Saul visits a medium in Endor, a place north of Shunem in the northern region of Israel, despite having previously expelled spiritists from the land. His vow in the name of the LORD underscores the biblical theme of human frailty: even as he uses God’s name, Saul demonstrates his distance from the LORD and exemplifies how fear can drive someone to violate the commands they had once staunchly proclaimed.
Consistent with the overall biblical narrative, this incident highlights that God’s people are not to turn to forbidden spiritual practices for guidance, but to rely upon the LORD for wisdom and direction—through the prophets in the Old Testament and ultimately through Jesus Christ in the New. Saul’s attempt to protect the medium foreshadows his impending downfall, as he refused to truly repent and submit to the authority of the God he invoked.