This verse describes the immediate aftermath of the Witch of Endor conjuring Samuel's spirit for Saul in 1 Samuel 28:25. Let's break down the meaning:
"She brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate." This refers to the food (likely a slaughtered calf and unleavened bread as implied in verses 24-25) that the Witch of Endor had prepared for Saul and his servants. Saul was weak and distressed after his encounter with the spirit of Samuel, and the witch urged him to eat for strength. This act of eating is significant because it represents Saul accepting aid and comfort from someone who practices divination, which he had previously outlawed in Israel. It's a sign of his desperation and moral compromise.
"Then they rose up, and went away that night." After eating, Saul and his servants immediately left the witch's house and went back to their camp or wherever they were stationed for the impending battle with the Philistines. The urgency of the situation is highlighted by the fact that they left that same night, despite Saul's weakened and shaken state. The encounter with the spirit of Samuel did not provide Saul with comfort or a solution, but rather confirmed his fears of impending doom. He is now resigned to his fate and returns to face the battle.
In essence, this verse is a poignant conclusion to a scene filled with desperation and fear. Saul, in his profound distress, turns to forbidden practices, receives a bleak prophecy, and then, strengthened by a meal from a source he would once have condemned, returns to face his unavoidable fate. The verse underscores Saul's tragic decline and his complete departure from following God's law.
This verse describes the immediate aftermath of the Witch of Endor conjuring Samuel's spirit for Saul in 1 Samuel 28:25. Let's break down the meaning:
"She brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate." This refers to the food (likely a slaughtered calf and unleavened bread as implied in verses 24-25) that the Witch of Endor had prepared for Saul and his servants. Saul was weak and distressed after his encounter with the spirit of Samuel, and the witch urged him to eat for strength. This act of eating is significant because it represents Saul accepting aid and comfort from someone who practices divination, which he had previously outlawed in Israel. It's a sign of his desperation and moral compromise.
"Then they rose up, and went away that night." After eating, Saul and his servants immediately left the witch's house and went back to their camp or wherever they were stationed for the impending battle with the Philistines. The urgency of the situation is highlighted by the fact that they left that same night, despite Saul's weakened and shaken state. The encounter with the spirit of Samuel did not provide Saul with comfort or a solution, but rather confirmed his fears of impending doom. He is now resigned to his fate and returns to face the battle.
In essence, this verse is a poignant conclusion to a scene filled with desperation and fear. Saul, in his profound distress, turns to forbidden practices, receives a bleak prophecy, and then, strengthened by a meal from a source he would once have condemned, returns to face his unavoidable fate. The verse underscores Saul's tragic decline and his complete departure from following God's law.
