On the eve of battle Saul, abandoned by God, seeks the witch of En-dor; Samuel's shade foretells his ruin — 'tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David: ‘Know you assuredly, that you shall go out with me in the host, you and your men.’
verse value 5611
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·hosts" (אֶת־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·the·army" (לַצָּבָ֔א), "you·shall·go·out" (תֵּצֵ֣א), "and·your·men" (וַאֲנָשֶֽׁיךָ). The root מחנה appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·David" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·your·men" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 11 words.
Metzudat Zion
To the army. A matter of gathering an army.
Malbim
The questions: Why does it say "with me you shall go out" and not "when you go out with me"? And he answered: "Therefore you shall know." The word "you" is superfluous. And he answered: "Therefore I will appoint you as a guardian over my head." Why specifically this reward?
"For with me you shall go" means that you shall not go out among the men of the army, but only go out with me (since the Cherethites and the Pelethites walked around the king to guard him, both from the adversary and from his own soldiers, lest they rebel against him; and he mostly chose for this purpose men of war from a foreign land, so that they would not join with his own soldiers in rebellion, as is known regarding the killing of the kings of Ishmael). And he did not want him to go with the army, because he feared that he would not wish to fight against Israel, or that he would fear that the Philistines would not trust him. However, regarding guarding the head of the king, he was confident in his faithfulness and his strength.
And David said to Achish: ‘Therefore you shall know what your servant will do.’ And Achish said to David: ‘Therefore will I make you keeper of my head for ever.’ .
verse value 5336
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·he·will·do" (אֲשֶֽׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "that·he·will·do" (אֲשֶֽׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה), "to·my·head" (לְרֹאשִׁ֛י), "I·will·put·you" (אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֖). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·David" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Metzudat David
"Therefore. Since you have trusted in me, you shall know from the mighty deeds which I shall perform:"
Therefore. On account of the mighty deeds that you will perform, I will appoint you keeper of my head, and the matter shall be regarded as an honor.
Malbim
And David said, inasmuch as he understood Achish’s intent (and indeed this was good in his eyes, for it was not in his mind to fight against Israel), he pretended as though he did not perceive it, and answered saying, “Therefore you shall know what your servant will do,” meaning: you will not need to inquire by hearsay, but you will know for yourself the valor that I shall perform.
And Achish said, "To bring it out from his heart, so that he would not think that this was because he did not trust him; rather, the opposite: that he will be all the days a guardian over his head, due to his great trust in him."
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that divined by a ghost or a familiar spirit out of the land.
verse value 4450
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 69 letters. Verse gematria: 4450 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "died" (מֵ֔ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·familiar·spirits" (וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים, 10 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·in·his·city" (וּבְעִיר֑וֹ), "had·removed" (הֵסִ֛יר), "the·ghosts" (הָאֹב֥וֹת). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "and·Samuel" (root שמואל, 103x in I Samuel); "all·Israel" (root כל, 71x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·in·his·city', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל [and·Samuel] (383) + מֵ֔ת [died] (440) + וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־לוֹ֙ [and·they·lamented·him] (202) + כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [all·Israel] (591) + וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֥הוּ [and·they·buried·him] (329) + בָרָמָ֖ה [at·Ramah] (247) + וּבְעִיר֑וֹ [and·in·his·city] (294) + וְשָׁא֗וּל [and·Saul] (343) + הֵסִ֛יר [had·removed] (275) + הָאֹב֥וֹת [the·ghosts] (414) + וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים [and·the·familiar·spirits] (596) + מֵהָאָֽרֶץ [from·the·land] (336) = 4450.
Rashi
And Samuel died. Behold, it was already said 'and Samuel died.' Rather, because he comes to speak of Sha'ul, who needed to inquire of a medium, he opened and said: And Samuel died — for if he were alive, from him Sha'ul would have inquired. And Sha'ul removed the mediums, and he needed to seek a woman, a medium.
And all Israel mourned for him, and they buried him in Ramah, in his city. (Translation:) And they mourned for him, all Israel, and they buried him in Ramah. And they mourned for him, each man in his city. 'And in his city' refers to 'and they mourned for him' — they mourned for him in Ramah when they buried him, and they mourned for him, each man in his city.
Radak
And Samuel died. And even though his death was recorded above, it is also recorded here because of the deed that Saul performed, namely that he inquired of a medium on his account. For had he been alive, Saul would not have inquired of anyone other than him, since he had already destroyed the mediums and the necromancers. And nevertheless, his inquiry of the medium was counted as a great sin, as it is stated about him in Chronicles: “And Saul died for his transgression...” and also for inquiring of a medium to seek guidance. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded upon this: It is written, “And Samuel died,” and it is also written, “And Samuel was dead.” Rabbi Yose said: “And Samuel was dead” indicates a certain death, whereas “And Samuel died” is stated only in connection with Nabal, as it is written, “And Samuel died,” and immediately following it is written, “And there was a man in Maon...” Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: All people mourned and lamented over the death of Samuel, but this wicked man made for himself parties, meaning celebrations.
"And they buried him in Ramah, which is his city." Because there were two Ramahs, as it is stated elsewhere "from the Ramathites," therefore it says "which is his city," meaning in that Ramah which was his city. Alternatively, the phrase "which is his city" means that they buried him within the city, not outside the city. And so it is written above, "in his house in Ramah." And the Targum of Jonathan translates: "And they mourned for him, the people of his dwelling place." This means that all of Israel who came to his burial mourned for him there in Ramah, and those who did not come mourned for him, each one in his own city, for they mourned for him in all the cities of Israel, in reward for the fact that he traveled throughout all the places to judge them.
Metzudat David
“And Samuel died.” This is because the verse comes to state the matter concerning Saul’s inquiry of the medium of Endor; therefore it says, “And Samuel died,” for had he been alive, Saul would have consulted him.
"And in his city." Within the city, and not outside of it, as it is written above (25:1): "in his house at Ramah."
And Saul removed it. For if he had not removed it, he would not have needed to seek out a medium, for there were many.
Metzudat Zion
The mediums and the wizards. Names of types of sorcery.
Malbim
The Questions: Was it not already mentioned above? Why does it repeat here, for the second time, the death of Samuel? It should have said, “And they mourned for him in Ramah, and in his city,” and not “And they buried him.” And that which says that he had put away the mediums — its place would have been more fitting at the end of verse 6.
"And Samuel died" — was this not already mentioned in its proper place (above, 1 Samuel 25), where it was stated that he died, was mourned, and was buried? Indeed, it is mentioned here a second time for four reasons:
A. It states "And Samuel died," and from this perspective, "And Saul had banished the mediums and the spiritists from the land." For during Samuel's lifetime, he did not attend to this matter, for who is so foolish as to inquire of the dead, while the seer was alive, who declared to each person all their desires? Moreover, in his days there were many prophets who declared every wish. But upon Samuel's death, vision was sealed and prophecy ceased, and the people who wished to know the present or the future began to inquire of mediums and spiritists. Consequently, Saul was stirred to eradicate them from the land. (And regarding this, it is said, "And they buried him in Ramah, in his city." Although according to the plain meaning, the phrase "in Ramah, in his city" refers to "and they mourned for him," indicating that they mourned him in Ramah and in his city, nevertheless, from what is written, "And they buried him in Ramah, in his city," it also implies that they buried him in these places. This is also justified from a rhetorical standpoint: if vision had not been sealed at his death, he would have been considered as still alive, for until then they drew the waters of prophecy from his stream. And although his body was buried in his city, he was not buried in Ramah, for there he lived by virtue of his emanation flowing there. But since the flow ceased, they buried him also in Ramah, meaning that his existence also ceased there.)
B. "And Samuel died," and from this perspective, "And the Philistines gathered themselves for war." Initially, they feared the power of Samuel (even though David was among them), but now the shadow of Israel was removed.
C. "And Samuel died," and from this perspective, "And Saul saw, and he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly." For until now, his heart was steadfast, relying on the merit of Samuel.
D. "And Samuel died," and "Saul inquired of the Lord, but He did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets." And if Samuel had been alive, he would have asked Samuel, and would not have needed the medium of Endor to raise Samuel from his grave.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
verse value 3301
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "Saul" (שָׁאוּל֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·Israel" (אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: and·they·encamped, and·they·encamped. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "in·Shunem" (בְשׁוּנֵ֑ם), "and·he·gathered" (וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ), "in·Gilboa" (בַּגִּלְבֹּֽעַ). The root קבץ appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel); "Philistines" (root פלשתי, 124x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root גלבע ("in·Gilboa") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Shunem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ [and·they·gathered] (214) + פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים [Philistines] (860) + וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ [and·they·came] (25) + וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בְשׁוּנֵ֑ם [in·Shunem] (398) + וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ [and·he·gathered] (208) + שָׁאוּל֙ [Saul] (337) + אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [all·Israel] (992) + וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ [and·they·encamped] (80) + בַּגִּלְבֹּֽעַ [in·Gilboa] (107) = 3301.
Malbim
"And the Philistines gathered themselves together." He sets out four causes that moved Saul to inquire of the medium. a) Samuel was dead, as above. b) That the Philistines gathered and encamped at Shunem, which is in the land of Israel, and his heart did not embolden him to draw near to their camp, but he encamped in Gilboa.
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
verse value 2446
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "his·heart" (לִבּ֖וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·host·of" (אֶת־מַחֲנֵ֣ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 217: and·saw, and·he·was·afraid. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "Philistines" (root פלשתי, 124x in I Samuel); "and·saw" (root ראה, 82x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Philistines', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֥רְא [and·saw] (217) + שָׁא֖וּל [Saul] (337) + אֶת־מַחֲנֵ֣ה [the·host·of] (504) + פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים [Philistines] (860) + וַיִּרָ֕א [and·he·was·afraid] (217) + וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד [and·trembled] (228) + לִבּ֖וֹ [his·heart] (38) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 2446.
Metzudat David
"And he saw, and he was afraid." Because the Philistines were a great multitude.
Malbim
(3) When he saw the camp of the Philistines, he was very afraid, and saw that his heart was trembling, foreboding him evil. (4) He inquired of the Lord, but He did not answer him.
“Also in dreams, etc.”: Behold, in Chronicles I (10:14) it states, “And also to inquire of a familiar spirit,” and it does not say that he inquired of the Lord, etc. Here, however, it says that he inquired of the Lord. For there is a difference between inquiry (sh’elah) and seeking (derashah). Seeking is when one seeks and requests the Lord with all his heart and in prayer; had he done so, the decree would have been averted (at least for the time being), and he would have been answered. But he did not seek; he merely asked by way of simple inquiry. The proof for this is derived from the order: he first inquired through dreams, then through the Urim, and then through the prophets. He ought to have begun by inquiring through the prophets, who draw from the source, followed by the Urim, which is merely a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and finally by dreams, which are a lower level. This was because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord, and he began with the lighter matter, which is distant from holiness and does not require such preparation. This is what is written: “Also in dreams, etc.”
And when Saul inquired of Hashem, Hashem answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
verse value 1885
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1885 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֧ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·dreams" (בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹת, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 43: also, also, also. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "in·the·dreams" (בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹת), "by·the·Urim" (בָּאוּרִ֖ים). The root גם appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "and·not" (root לא, 107x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל [and·asked] (347) + שָׁאוּל֙ [Saul] (337) + בַּיהֹוָ֔ה [of·Hashem] (28) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + עָנָ֖הוּ [answered·him] (131) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + גַּ֧ם [also] (43) + בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹת [in·the·dreams] (486) + גַּ֥ם [also] (43) + בָּאוּרִ֖ים [by·the·Urim] (259) + גַּ֥ם [also] (43) + בַּנְּבִיאִֽם [in·the·prophets] (105) = 1885.
Rashi
Even in the Urim. Because he killed Nob, the city of the priests, he was not answered.
Radak
And Saul inquired of the Lord, but He did not answer him. And in Chronicles it is stated: “He did not inquire of the Lord.” Rather, once he subsequently inquired of the medium, it is as though he had not inquired of the Lord, for he equated his inquiry of the medium with his inquiry of the Lord. And what is meant by “And Saul inquired of the Lord”? It is explained subsequently by what he inquired about, and it says: “Also in dreams, also in the Urim, also in the prophets.” And every instance of “also… also” serves to include one alongside the other, just as in the phrase: “Also you, also your son, also the son of your son.” And the meaning of “in dreams” is through men who perform dream inquiry. And what is meant by “in the Urim,” when they were not with him, for they were with Abiathar the priest who was with David? It is possible that he sent men there to inquire through them regarding this war. And the meaning of “in the prophets” is the disciples of Samuel the prophet, as it is written: “A company of prophets prophesying…”
Ralbag
And the Lord did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. The first word "also" (gam) serves to indicate that He did not answer him in any of these manners, in accordance with the verse, "It shall be neither mine nor thine" (I Kings 3:26), implying that He did not answer him through dreams via those who interpret dreams correctly, when they would focus their thoughts during waking hours on that question so that the revelation would come to them in a dream. And more wondrous than this is that He did not answer him through the Urim, for it is the custom of those who inquire through them that an answer comes to them, unless this is due to a sin, as we find with Saul, when he inquired of God, that he was not answered on account of what Jonathan, his son, had transgressed regarding the oath by tasting the honey, and it seemed that there was no worthy priest upon whom the Holy Spirit would rest to be consulted through the Urim and Thummim, for Saul had already killed Nob, the city of the priests, in which were the prominent priests, and those who escaped were with David. Or perhaps the reason that no answer came to him was Saul's own sin, or perhaps both causes combined. And more wondrous than this is that He did not answer him through the prophets, despite their multitude, as previously stated, "and he saw a company of prophets."
Metzudat David
Of the Lord. This means: through the prophets, the Urim and Thummim, and through those who interpret dreams:
And He did not answer him. In all that he inquired, whether through dreams, or through the Urim, etc. [And even though the Urim were with Abiathar, who had gone with David, it is possible to say that he sent men to inquire of them]:
Then said Saul to his servants: ‘Seek me a woman that divines by a ghost, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.’ And his servants said to him: ‘Behold, there is a woman that divines by a ghost at En-dor.’
verse value 5023
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "wife·of" (אֵ֣שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·let·me·inquire·of·her" (וְאֶדְרְשָׁה־בָּ֑הּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 701: wife·of, wife·of. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "seek·for·me" (בַּקְּשׁוּ־לִי֙), "and·let·me·go" (וְאֵלְכָ֥ה), "and·let·me·inquire·of·her" (וְאֶדְרְשָׁה־בָּ֑הּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "and·let·me·go" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·let·me·inquire·of·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Radak
“Seek for me a woman who is a mistress of an evil spirit.” The term “woman” is used in the sense of “a woman who sells,” just as in the phrase “a woman of beauty.” The verse specifies “woman” and not “man,” because this practice and similar ones are found more frequently among women than among men, since they are of light-minded disposition. For this reason, the verse states: “A woman who is a sorceress shall not live.”
"Behold, there is a woman that divineth by a ghost at En-dor." They said in the midrash: this is the wife of Zephaniah, the mother of Abner.
Ralbag
“Seek for me a woman who is a medium.” Behold, this was a great sin, and for this sin Saul was reproached, as his sins are mentioned, and also Saul resorted to a medium to inquire.
Metzudat David
"A woman who is a mistress of a familiar spirit." This is because such a practice is more commonly found among women. Moreover, it is stated in the Torah (Exodus 22:17): "A woman who is a sorceress shall not be allowed to live."
Malbim
“And I will inquire of it”: The implication of the language is that initially he did not intend to inquire of the medium himself (for the one inquired of is under the prohibition); rather, he only desired that the woman inquire, and he would inquire of her to learn his desired information from the woman, not from the medium. He reasoned that the Torah had not warned against this. Only afterward, through the fact that Samuel began to speak to him, did it come about that he inquired of the medium himself.
And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said: ‘Divine to me, I pray you, by a ghost, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name to you.’
verse value 5360
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 100 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִי֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·disguised·himself" (וַיִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 40: to·me, to·me. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·he·disguised·himself" (וַיִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ), "clothes" (בְּגָדִ֣ים), "to·the·woman" (אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה). The root לי appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·the·woman" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "that·I·shall·say" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'night', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 10 words.
Rashi
And Sha'ul disguised himself. He changed his garments — and so (I Kings 22:30): He disguised himself and came to the war. And so (Job 30:18): In great strength my garment is disguised. And so Yonatan translated: Va'shteni Sha'ul.
And they came to the woman at night. It was day — but from their distress it seemed to them like night. So Rabbi Tanchuma expounded (parasha Emor, part 2).
Radak
"And he disguised himself." He changed, in that he stripped off the royal garments he had been wearing and donned other garments, so that the woman would not recognize him.
And two men were with him. They said in a derash: This refers to Abner and Amasa.
“And they came to the woman at night.” This too was so that she would not recognize him, for according to the simple meaning (peshat), they came at night; but in the homiletical interpretation (derash), it was day, but due to their distress it seemed to them like night.
"Divine unto me." Its form, by rule, is kosmi, on the pattern of "reign thou over us"; and the qamatz was turned into a chataf under the second radical, while the first radical has a broad qamatz, for the elegance of the word. And kesem is a general term for all those acts performed in secret — therefore she said "divine," and afterwards specified "by the ghost." And so "and with divinations in their hand," "Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner," and "a false divination," and the like. And sometimes it is specific, for one of those acts, as in "neither is there any divination in Israel," and "one that useth divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter" — for each of them is a craft in itself.
Ralbag
"And Saul disguised himself." This means that he changed his garments so that those who saw him would not recognize him, and thereby he would achieve his desired goal through the woman who was a medium.
“Conjure for me, I pray, by means of the medium.” You ought to know that the matter of the medium (ov) is to arouse the imagination so that a certain type of magic may reach him; for this reason, he will not hear his voice except for the inquirer, and he will hear a very low voice, as it is stated, “And it shall be like the voice of a medium from the earth.” And we have already explained in the second book of The Wars of the Lord what there is in the matter of the information that comes through magic regarding its deficiency. And our Sages of blessed memory stated that the matter of the medium is that the one who raises the dead is deaf to everything, but he sees the image of the dead person; and the inquirer will not see that image, but he will hear words according to his thought concerning his question. For this reason, no one saw the image of Samuel except the woman who raised him, and she did not hear the words, but Saul heard them, because she directed her seclusion toward the matter of that image. And for this reason, she showed him her imagination after performing certain actions to arouse her imagination and her seclusion in this matter. However, Saul alone heard these words, having secluded his imagination in the matter of the question, together with what she aroused in his imagination through the actions she performed. And for this reason, this magic is attributed to him, and therefore he said, “Conjure for me, I pray, by means of the medium,” and he imagined that after she had done what she did to arouse this magic, it became clear to her who this was whom she raised, and that the one inquiring of her was Saul. And for this reason, the woman cried out in a loud voice upon seeing the image of the one she had raised, because it became clear to her from him that the one she raised was Samuel the prophet, not another person whose name happened to be Samuel, and that the one inquiring of her was Saul.
Metzudat David
“Divine for me, I pray. Perform for me a divination by means of a medium, which is the summoning of the dead, and inquiries are made through it:
Metzudat Zion
And he disguised himself. A matter of exchanging and changing the garment to another, similarly (I Kings 22:30): 'disguise yourself and go into battle'.
Divine. It is the general name for all kinds of divination.
Malbim
"And he disguised himself" (ויתחפש): He devised ways so that she would not recognize him: A. He changed his garments; B. He went with two men accompanying him, for it is not the custom of a king to walk with only two men; C. They came to the woman at night, for it is not the custom of a king to walk at night; D. He did not immediately say that he wished to bring up Samuel, for then she would understand that he was not a commoner, since a commoner would not have the heart to bring up the prophet.
And the woman said to him: ‘Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those that divine by a ghost or a familiar spirit out of the land; wherefore then lay you a snare for my life, to cause me to die?’
verse value 8826
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֨ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·familiar·spirit" (וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖י, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 406: you, you. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "you·knew" (יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙), "cut·off" (הִכְרִ֛ית), "the·ghosts" (אֶת־הָאֹב֥וֹת). The root אתה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "that·he·did" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Rashi
Laying a snare. Seeking trouble.
Radak
"Layest a snare for my life." Against myself, to put me to death: he strives to set a snare for my life, to put me to death.
Metzudat David
"Conspiring against my soul." To be put to death by Saul.
Metzudat Zion
Removing. He means removing the trap and the distress that is upon you, to leave it upon me.
And Saul swore to her by Hashem, saying: ‘As Hashem lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.’
verse value 1825
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "to·her" (לָהּ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "Hashem·lives" (חַי־יְהֹוָ֕ה, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "if·befall·you" (אִֽם־יִקְּרֵ֥ךְ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "by·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשָּׁ֤בַֽע [and·swore] (388) + לָהּ֙ [to·her] (35) + שָׁא֔וּל [Saul] (337) + בַּיהֹוָ֖ה [by·Hashem] (28) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + חַי־יְהֹוָ֕ה [Hashem·lives] (44) + אִֽם־יִקְּרֵ֥ךְ [if·befall·you] (371) + עָוֺ֖ן [perversity] (126) + בַּדָּבָ֥ר [in·the·matter] (208) + הַזֶּֽה [this] (17) = 1825.
Radak
"If punishment befall thee." The dagesh in the kuf is for the elegance of the reading.
Metzudat David
"As the Lord lives." I hereby swear: As the Lord lives, no punishment shall befall you on account of this matter.
Metzudat Zion
He will chance upon you. From the word 'chance'.
Iniquity. A matter of punishment, similarly (Lamentations 5:7): 'and we have borne their iniquities'.
Then said the woman: ‘Whom shall I bring up to you?’ And he said: ‘Bring me up Samuel.’
verse value 2755
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "the·woman" (הָאִשָּׁ֔ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "Samuel" (אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "I·will·offer·to·You" (אַעֲלֶה־לָּ֑ךְ), "bring·up·to·me" (הַֽעֲלִי־לִֽי). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "I·will·offer·to·You" (root עלה, 81x in I Samuel); "the·woman" (root אשה, 54x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·offer·to·You', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ [and·she·said] (647) + הָאִשָּׁ֔ה [the·woman] (311) + אֶת־מִ֖י [whom] (451) + אַעֲלֶה־לָּ֑ךְ [I·will·offer·to·You] (156) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל [Samuel] (778) + הַֽעֲלִי־לִֽי [bring·up·to·me] (155) = 2755.
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying: ‘Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul.’
verse value 5591
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "why" (לָ֥מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "Samuel" (אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 311: the·woman, the·woman. The root אשה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַתֵּ֤רֶא [and·saw] (607) + הָאִשָּׁה֙ [the·woman] (311) + אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל [Samuel] (778) + וַתִּזְעַ֖ק [and·cried] (583) + בְּק֣וֹל [voice] (138) + גָּד֑וֹל [great] (43) + וַתֹּ֩אמֶר֩ [and·she·said] (647) + הָאִשָּׁ֨ה [the·woman] (311) + אֶל־שָׁא֧וּל [to·Saul] (368) + לֵאמֹ֛ר [saying] (271) + לָ֥מָּה [why] (75) + רִמִּיתָ֖נִי [did·you·deceive·me] (710) + וְאַתָּ֥ה [and·you] (412) + שָׁאֽוּל [Saul] (337) = 5591.
Rashi
And she cried out with a loud voice. That she saw him ascending not in the manner of the ascenders — for the ascender, when he remembers, his feet ascend above. And this one ascends his head above — for the honor of Sha'ul (Tanchuma, loc. cit.).
Radak
"And you, Saul." How did she recognize him? They said: She saw a strange thing that she had never seen in her life, for all those who rise through necromancy rise with their feet upward and their heads downward. When she saw him rising with his head upward, she knew that this was not so except out of respect for kingship. Therefore, she said, "And you, Saul." And therefore she cried out, for she saw that he came to test her and to kill her. Therefore, Saul said to her, "Do not be afraid," meaning: From what you see, do not be afraid, for I will not kill you, for I have already sworn to you. But what did you see that caused you to recognize that I am Saul? And the woman said, "I saw gods ascending from the earth; I saw a great man ascending from the earth, his feet toward the earth, which is not the custom of those who rise. Therefore, I knew that you are King Saul, and he rose thus out of respect for you."
Metzudat David
"And the woman saw." Our Sages of blessed memory said (Midrash Tanhuma, Emor 2): "The one who ascends sees Him but does not hear His voice, and the one who is asked hears His voice but does not see Him."
"Why did you deceive me?"—meaning, you did not inform me that you were Saul. And since it is the custom of those who come up to come up with their feet upward, and this one ascended with his head upward, she knew from this that he was Saul. And for the sake of the honor of the monarchy, he ascended with his head upward (ibid.).
Malbim
The Questions: All men of understanding were astonished: How could a woman, through her sorcery, gain dominion over the soul of the prophet, causing it to descend from the bundle of life by means of enchantment? And how could she know and declare future events by the compulsion of sorcery?
"And the woman saw Samuel": The commentators have elaborated greatly on this matter, for it is wondrous how it can be conceived that a woman, through her sorcery, would have dominion over the soul of the prophet, which is bound in the bundle of life, drawing it down from its dwelling, so that its voice should be as a ghost out of the ground? And the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel ben Hofni said that the entire matter of the medium was falsehood and mockery. And Rabbi Levi ben Gershom (the Ralbag) said that it was an operation of the power of imagination. And all of this cannot encompass the verses, which state that the matter was real, and that he prophesied to him what would be tomorrow, and who would reign after him. And Rav Hai Gaon and Rav Saadia said that it was not the woman who revived Samuel, but rather the Creator revived him, so that there might be made known to Saul what was destined to befall him and his house. And if so, why did He not answer him through the Urim and Thummim and through the prophets? And Abarbanel said that a demon clothed itself in the body of Samuel, and it is this entity that the verses called by the name of Samuel, on account of its body. And the author of Akeidat Yitzchak said that she began with the operation, and thereby Samuel was aroused on his own, not by the coercion of the medium.
But why do we need these enormous forced explanations? Did not our Sages of blessed memory, in their aggadot, relate a matter of a medium that was still practiced in the days of the Sages of the Mishnah and Talmud? And they testified that it was within their power to raise souls from their graves in truth. And they said that the one who raises sees him, and the one who asks hears his voice. And they said that if the one for whom the inquiry is made is a commoner, he rises with his head downward, and if he is a king, he rises in his proper manner. And all of this they related from the fact that this craft was known, practiced in their days, and they knew all its properties.
However, concerning that which you wonder at—how sorcery could have dominion over the soul of the prophet—I have already explained in a special discourse, that the soul which emanates from above immediately departs at the death of the person and returns to the God who gave it. However, the natural soul (nefesh hayulanit), which is formed together with the body, does not depart until the body is consumed in the grave after twelve months, as it is stated: "All twelve months it goes up and down," for it has an intrinsic connection with the body. And as long as the alchemical work has not been performed upon it through combination and purification, whereby the body decays and its parts separate, it is still below, and the medium has the power to have dominion over it, and it has the power to declare future events through the operation of magic. Nevertheless, the upper soul of Samuel stands in its honor before the Lord in the lands of the living. For only the spirit (ruach), which is still attached to the body, is under the dominion of the medium, who imprisons the spirit through magic. And this is what is written: "And the woman saw Samuel, and she cried out with a loud voice." She saw that he rose in his proper manner, and she knew that the one for whom the inquiry was made was the king. Therefore, she said, "Why have you deceived me, and you are Saul?"
And the king said to her: ‘Be not afraid; for what do you see?’ And the woman said to Saul: ‘I see a godlike being coming up out of the earth.’
verse value 4294
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·her" (לָ֥הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·fear" (אַל־תִּֽירְאִ֖י, 7 letters). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "do·not·fear" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·saw', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֨אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לָ֥הּ [to·her] (35) + הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ [king] (95) + אַל־תִּֽירְאִ֖י [do·not·fear] (652) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + מָ֣ה [what] (45) + רָאִ֑ית [you·saw] (611) + וַתֹּ֤אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + הָאִשָּׁה֙ [the·woman] (311) + אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל [to·Saul] (368) + אֱלֹהִ֥ים [God] (86) + רָאִ֖יתִי [I·have·seen] (621) + עֹלִ֥ים [going·up] (150) + מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ [from·the·earth] (386) = 4294.
Rashi
I saw divine beings coming up out of the earth. Two angels — Moses and Samuel. For Samuel was afraid, thinking: perhaps I am being summoned to judgment — so he brought Moses up with him (as it is in Chagigah 4b).
Radak
“God.” Great like God you shall not curse; and the multitude of ascents corresponds to the multitude of “Gods” for the sake of honor. And in the midrashic interpretation, it refers to Moses’ soul, which He brought up with Him to seek mercy for Israel; therefore it says “ascents.” And the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My soul would not be for this people.” And Jonathan rendered it in the Targum: “I saw the angel of the Lord ascending from the earth.”
Metzudat David
"Do not be afraid." In any case, do not be afraid. And if I am Saul:
"For what have you seen? Rather, say: 'What have you seen?'"
Elohim. This implies: a great man. And similarly, (Exodus 22:28): "You shall not curse Elohim."
"Ascending." Since God is referred to in the plural form, as is customary in the language of honor when speaking of sovereignty, therefore "ascending" is also stated in the plural form. And likewise (above 4:8): "These mighty gods, etc., who strike."
Malbim
"I saw a divine being." In that she saw him ascending after his manner, after the manner of spiritual beings, she perceived that he was the king, as above. And our Sages of blessed memory said that Moses ascended with him — that is to say, since all the prophets received from him, they have some portion of his power, and this power which was in his spirit ascended with him; and she, apprehending this in a corporeal manner, saw two ascending. And of this she said, "An old man cometh up," meaning Moses, who was an old man of a hundred and twenty; and "and he" means Samuel, "covered with a robe."
And he said to her: ‘What form is he of?’ And she said: ‘An old man comes up; and he is covered with a robe.’ And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and prostrated himself.
verse value 4539
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֥וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "to·her" (לָהּ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "that·Samuel" (כִּֽי־שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "what·his·form" (מַֽה־תׇּאֳר֔וֹ), "covering" (עֹטֶ֖ה), "robe" (מְעִ֑יל). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'robe', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 8 words.
Rashi
What is his description? Three things were said about a medium: the one who brings him up sees him and does not hear his voice. And the one who asks him hears him and does not see him. Therefore he asked: What is his description? And afterward, neither seeing him nor hearing him (Tanchuma, loc. cit.).
And he is wearing a cloak. For he was accustomed to wear a cloak, as it is said (above, 2:19): And his mother would make for him a little cloak. And in his cloak he was buried. And so he ascended. And so in the future to come they will stand in their garments (Tanchuma, loc. cit.).
Radak
For it was Samuel. For his custom was that he would wrap himself in a mantle:
Metzudat David
What was his appearance? That you should know that he is a great man.
And he is clothed in a mantle. And it is a garment designated for a great and important person:
Metzudat Zion
Clothed. Wrapped, similarly (Psalms 104:2): 'clothed with light as with a garment'.
And he bowed. He bent the crown of the head.
Faces. Upon his face.
And Samuel said to Saul: ‘Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up?’ And Saul answered: ‘I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.’
verse value 7203
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 130 letters. The shortest word is "against·me" (בִּ֗י, 2 letters) and the longest is "hand·spokesman" (בְּיַֽד־הַנְּבִיאִים֙, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "you·have·disturbed·me" (הִרְגַּזְתַּ֖נִי), "I·am·distressed" (צַר־לִ֨י), "and·God" (וֵאלֹהִ֞ים). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 25 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'me', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 20 words.
Rashi
You have terrified me. You have frightened me.
Even by the prophets, even in dreams. But in the Urim and Thummim He did not tell him — even though he asked in them, as is stated above — for he was ashamed before him, because he killed Nob, the city of the priests.
And I have called you. The language of ‘and I will cry after you’ — like (II Samuel 1:6): ‘I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa’; and like (ibid. 20:1): ‘and there happened to be there a base fellow.’ I was compelled to call to you, that you might make known to me what I should do.
Radak
“You have angered me. From my tranquility:”
"To bring me up" from my rest. And in the midrashic sense, it is an expression of fear and trembling: "I feared the Day of Judgment," for I thought that the Day of Judgment had arrived and that I was being called to judgment.
Also by the hand of the prophets, and also in dreams. And it did not say "by the Urim" as the verse stated above, "For he inquired of the Urim." They said in the exposition that it was shameful to say before Samuel "by the Urim," because he had killed Nob, the city of the priests.
"And I called thee." With an added heh, as is usual, like eshmeah, eshmerah; but that the third radical should have a segol is not usual, and like it comes "may He accept the fat of thy burnt-offering, Selah."
Metzudat David
“You have provoked me.” You have alarmed me from my place of rest, to cause me to ascend here:
“Also by the hand of the prophets.” Our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 12b) that it did not say “also by the Urim,” because he was ashamed to mention the Urim in the presence of Samuel, because Saul had killed the priests of Nob who inquired through the Urim.
Metzudat Zion
You have terrified me. A matter of movement of fear from the place of rest, similarly (Job 9:6): 'who shakes the earth from its place'.
Malbim
And it says: We have already explained that Saul did not intend to consult the medium herself; rather, only after he arose and bowed down did Samuel begin to speak to him. Saul said, “I am in great distress,” and he considered three things: 1. That the Philistines were fighting against him; 2. That the Lord had departed from him—namely, the divine spirit that had been upon him, as it is written, “And the spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, a spirit of might and strength of heart,” which had now passed from him; and because of this, his heart trembled; 3. And that He no longer answered me, which was a bad omen for him. (And he considered the prophets and dreams, but was ashamed to mention them, saying that he placed dreams before prophets, which indicates negligence in seeking the Lord, as stated above in section 6). And likewise, he did not mention the Urim, because he was ashamed of the slaughter of the city of the priests, according to the words of our Sages of blessed memory (in the first chapter of Berakhot). From this perspective, he said, “And I will call to you,” etc.
And Samuel said: ‘Wherefore then do you ask of me, seeing Hashem is departed from you, and is become your adversary?
verse value 2289
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "turned·aside" (סָ֥ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "you·will·ask·me" (תִּשְׁאָלֵ֑נִי, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "you·will·ask·me" (תִּשְׁאָלֵ֑נִי), "your·adversary" (עָרֶֽךָ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·ask·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל [Samuel] (377) + וְלָ֖מָּה [and·why] (81) + תִּשְׁאָלֵ֑נִי [you·will·ask·me] (791) + וַיהֹוָ֛ה [and·Hashem] (32) + סָ֥ר [turned·aside] (260) + מֵעָלֶ֖יךָ [from·you] (170) + וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + עָרֶֽךָ [your·adversary] (290) = 2289.
Rashi
Why do you ask me. Behold, you asked from the living prophets.
And is become thine adversary. (Targum:) and He has become the help of the man of whom you are an enemy.
An adversary. A term for a foe — and there are many such in Scripture: (Isaiah 14:21) “and they fill the face of the world with enemies”; (Micah 5:13) “and I will destroy thine enemies”; (Daniel 4:16) “let the dream be for them that hate thee, and its interpretation for thine adversaries.”
Radak
"And the value." Your enemies; and likewise, "And I will destroy your cities." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated the verse thus: "And the word of the Lord shall be far from you, and it shall be in aid of the man who is your enemy."
Ralbag
And He has become your adversary. This means your enemy.
Metzudat David
"And why do you ask me, etc." He means to say: What is the question? Do you not yourself say that the Lord has departed from you?
"And He has become your adversary." And from now on, He is in aiding your enemy, and he is David.
Metzudat Zion
Your adversary. Your enemies, similarly (Psalms 139:20): 'let them be raised to vanity, your enemies'.
Malbim
And why do you ask me? Should you not have known the answer from the three matters that you stated? For regarding what you said, “And the Lord has departed from me,” the answer is: “And the Lord has departed from you,” and by this means, “And it came to pass” (ויהי), meaning that existence and sustenance were granted to the one who arouses your kingdom, namely David (as stated above [1 Samuel] 16:13, “And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward, and from Saul it departed”).
And Hashem has wrought for Himself; as He spoke by me; and Hashem has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbour, even to David.
verse value 3063
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for·Himself" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·kingdom" (אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 386: and·did, and·he·tore. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·kingdom" (אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙), "and·he·gave·it" (וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "to·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "as" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·my·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֤עַשׂ [and·did] (386) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + ל֔וֹ [for·Himself] (36) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר [as] (521) + דִּבֶּ֣ר [spoke] (206) + בְּיָדִ֑י [in·my·hand] (26) + וַיִּקְרַ֨ע [and·he·tore] (386) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ [the·kingdom] (541) + מִיָּדֶ֔ךָ [from·your·hand] (74) + וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ [and·he·gave·it] (471) + לְרֵעֲךָ֥ [to·your·neighbor] (320) + לְדָוִֽד [to·David] (44) = 3063.
Rashi
To your fellow, to David. And in his lifetime he did not mention to him his name — but 'and it will be given to your fellow, who is better than you' (above, 15:28). For he was afraid of him, lest he kill him — because he anointed him for kingship (Tanchuma, loc. cit.).
Radak
“And the Lord made for him.” According to the Targum, “for him” refers to David. And according to the plain sense, “for him” is equivalent to “for you,” for such is the manner of Scripture to speak both in the second person (directly) and in the third person (indirectly) regarding the same matter.
Metzudat David
To him. To the adversary whom he mentioned, namely David:
Malbim
"And He did (on the second point) as He had said, and He did not answer me anymore, even through the prophets, etc." The answer is that the Lord will answer and inform [a person] of the heavenly decree for two reasons: 1) If there is still a remedy through repentance, He will inform him so that he may set his heart to repent and the decree will be nullified. However, this does not apply here, since the kingdom was promised to David. Even if you improve your deeds, it is impossible that He would change the good that was promised to David. This is what is written: "And the Lord did to him (i.e., approximately) as He had spoken through His servant, and He tore it, etc., and gave it to your enemy, David." This cannot be changed. 2) [He informs] the decree so that he may know from which sin it was decreed upon him. But this too is not needed here, for the sin is known to you, and it is...
Because you did not hearken to the voice of Hashem, and did not execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore has Hashem done this thing to you this day.
verse value 3863
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·executed" (וְלֹֽא־עָשִׂ֥יתָ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·not·executed" (וְלֹֽא־עָשִׂ֥יתָ), "anger" (חֲרוֹן־אַפּ֖וֹ), "upon·Amalek" (בַּעֲמָלֵ֑ק). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "because" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·Amalek', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר [because] (521) + לֹא־שָׁמַ֙עְתָּ֙ [not·you·hearkened] (841) + בְּק֣וֹל [voice] (138) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וְלֹֽא־עָשִׂ֥יתָ [and·not·executed] (817) + חֲרוֹן־אַפּ֖וֹ [anger] (351) + בַּעֲמָלֵ֑ק [upon·Amalek] (242) + עַל־כֵּן֙ [therefore] (170) + הַדָּבָ֣ר [the·thing] (211) + הַזֶּ֔ה [this] (17) + עָשָֽׂה־לְךָ֥ [done·to·you] (425) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + הַיּ֥וֹם [day] (61) + הַזֶּֽה [this] (17) = 3863.
Radak
"Therefore this matter." It has already been explained above in the verse: "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today."
Metzudat David
"As you have done..." This means: Just as you acted by refusing to heed the voice of the Lord, therefore the Lord has done to you...
"This matter: that the Philistines came upon you, and the Lord did not answer you."
Malbim
"As you did not hearken to the voice of the Lord, etc., concerning Amalek, therefore the Lord has done to you this thing today." And if so, you already knew the cause for which you were punished, as it is stated, "And the Lord did as He spoke by my hand." And if so, there was no need whatsoever that He should answer you.
Moreover Hashem will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shall you and your sons be with me; Hashem will deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.’
verse value 5801
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֠הֹוָ֠ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "hand·of·the·Philistines" (בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 876: hand·of·the·Philistines, hand·of·the·Philistines. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·tomorrow" (וּמָחָ֕ר). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "with" (root עם, 128x in I Samuel); "Israel" (root ישראל, 102x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
You and your sons with me. In my portion.
Radak
"You and your sons are my people." This means that you should die just as I died. And our Sages expounded upon the phrase "my people" to mean: "in my division [i.e., in the World to Come]." And in reward for the fact that you will go down to war with the intention of dying and not fleeing, the sin of Nob, the city of the priests, will be atoned for you, and you will be with me in the division of the righteous. And similarly, our Sages expounded: In reward for the fact that he was ashamed of the incident of Nob and did not mention the Urim and Thummim, that incident was atoned for him. And they support this further from the verse: "That you may remember and be ashamed, and your face shall blush" (Ezekiel 16:63), meaning that anyone who does a deed and is ashamed of it, forgiveness is granted to him. And according to the simple meaning, even though Samuel told him that he would die, it is not plausible that he would flee and leave his people in battle; and in any case, he was obligated to go down to war, whether to die or to live.
Ralbag
“Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.” This means that they will die like him. Now, regarding that report which reached Saul, there are doubts that we ought to strive to resolve. The first doubt is: How is it possible for prophecy to reach Samuel after death? This is impossible according to what we explained concerning the nature and essence of prophecy in the second book of Milchamot Hashem (The Wars of the Lord), let alone that a perceptible utterance should come from him to Saul, given the absence from him of the organs of speech. The second doubt is: How is it possible that through the medium of raising a spirit by means of a medium (ov), such a statement—which is prophetic in nature—should arrive, according to what we explained concerning these reports in the second treatise of Milchamot Hashem?
We say in resolving the first doubt that, in truth, nothing was raised from him, nor did any utterance come from him to Saul in a true sense; rather, this was entirely the product of the imaginative faculty, as we mentioned. From this perspective, the first doubt is resolved.
As for the second doubt, it is resolved by what I shall say, namely, that Saul possessed a certain prophetic power, as it is said, “Was Saul also among the prophets?” Now, with the arousal of his imagination through this action, and through what had been told to him by the words of Samuel during his lifetime—by which it was made clear to him that God, blessed be He, had torn the kingdom from him and given it to David, as Saul said to David, “I know that you will surely reign…”—and it was made clear to him through perception that God, blessed be He, was with David and had withdrawn from him; from this action, all these matters mentioned here came to him. Some of them were known to him prior to this, and some became known to him at this place by virtue of a certain prophetic power. This is what is meant by: “And the Lord also gave Israel into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me…” Here, these doubts are resolved in a complete manner, as appears to us.
Metzudat David
"My people." In the grave, like me. And our Sages of blessed memory (there) said: "My people" means within my partition.
"Camp of Israel." This means: their cities of encampment, as it is written regarding the matter of their leaving the cities, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them:
Malbim
And he gave (on the third point) what is written, “And the Philistines are fighting against me,” the answer is that God will also give Israel into the hand of the Philistines with you, because they participated in the sin, for the people had pity on the best of the sheep and cattle, and it was incumbent upon them to rebuke Saul after he had informed them of the prophet’s decree. Up to here is the matter he said to him, “Why do you ask me?”—he reproached him for having aroused him in vain to come up. Now he comes to inform him of the essence of his question. He said to him, “Know that the punishment has been decreed, and tomorrow is its time, whether upon you, for tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, or upon Israel, for God will also give the camp of Israel (tomorrow) into the hand of the Philistines.”
Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
verse value 3105
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "in·him" (ב֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "fullness·of·his·height" (מְלֹא־קֽוֹמָתוֹ֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 51: not·was, ate. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "fullness·of·his·height" (מְלֹא־קֽוֹמָתוֹ֙), "from·words·of" (מִדִּבְרֵ֣י), "also·strength" (גַּם־כֹּ֙חַ֙). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "not·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Samuel', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Radak
"And Saul hastened." He hastened to bow down before Samuel, meaning, in response to the voice that he heard, for he did not see him, as we shall explain.
“Mila komato” (he fell his full length). This refers to the fear that was upon him, for Samuel had terrified him and instilled in his heart the words of Samuel. Moreover, since he had eaten no bread all that day and all that night, he had no strength, and furthermore, he did not wish to be raised from the ground due to the intensity of his distress.
"And he was greatly afraid." The yod is written as a standalone letter, and the yod of the root is concealed from the text.
He also lacked the strength to rise from the ground after having fallen to the earth.
Metzudat David
And he fell, etc. To prostrate himself before Samuel:
Also, his strength. In addition to being alarmed by Samuel’s words, his strength also departed from him due to the withholding of food.
Metzudat Zion
His full stature. He means all of his stature.
Malbim
And he fell: A. from the side of terror, for which it is stated, "and he was exceedingly afraid"; B. from the side that there was no strength in him, etc.
And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was sore affrighted, and said to him: ‘Behold, your handmaid has hearkened to your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened to your words which you spoke to me.
verse value 7109
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "very" (מְאֹ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·words" (אֶת־דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 415: and·she·came, has·hearkened. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·she·came" (וַתָּב֤וֹא), "that·was·dismayed" (כִּֽי־נִבְהַ֣ל), "has·hearkened" (שָֽׁמְעָ֤ה). The root אל appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "which" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'very', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 14 words.
Radak
"And I set my life in my hand." For I was afraid of thee, lest thou kill me, just as thou didst cut off the ghosts and the familiar spirits out of the land. And so did Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translate: "I entrusted my life as if upon my back to be slain." And some say: "For the one who performs that deed is in danger."
Metzudat David
“Behold, she has heard...” – to consult a familiar spirit:
"And I set my life in my hand." This means: Just as one who holds something in his palm finds it easy to drop when he opens his palm, so too I forfeited my life and risked myself by transgressing the king's prohibition, for at the time of the enchantment she did not yet know that he was Saul.
Malbim
"Behold, I have heard" means: I have heard in a place of danger and fear of the kingdom, and I hearkened to thy words, to bring up a prophet, a holy one of the LORD.
Now therefore, I pray you, hearken you also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way.’
verse value 4287
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "in·you" (בְךָ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "hear·now" (שְׁמַֽע־נָ֤א, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "also·you" (גַם־אַתָּה֙), "and·let·me·set" (וְאָשִׂ֧מָה), "and·eat" (וֶאֱכ֑וֹל). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·let·it·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "when" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel); "you·shall·go" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·eat', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
"When you go on the way." If so, it is needful to seek after strength:
Malbim
And now it is fitting that you also heed my voice to eat, for it is fitting that you do this so that there may be strength in you when you go on the way.
But he refused, and said: ‘I will not eat.’ But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he hearkened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
verse value 2824
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 63 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·urged·him" (וַיִּפְרְצוּ־ב֤וֹ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·refused" (וַיְמָאֵ֗ן), "and·they·urged·him" (וַיִּפְרְצוּ־ב֤וֹ), "and·also·the·woman" (וְגַם־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·the·bed" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "not" (root לא, 107x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at·their·outcry', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיְמָאֵ֗ן [and·refused] (107) + וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ [and·said] (257) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + אֹכַ֔ל [will·eat] (51) + וַיִּפְרְצוּ־ב֤וֹ [and·they·urged·him] (400) + עֲבָדָיו֙ [his·servants] (92) + וְגַם־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה [and·also·the·woman] (360) + וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע [and·he·hearkened] (426) + לְקֹלָ֑ם [at·their·outcry] (200) + וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ [and·arose] (156) + מֵֽהָאָ֔רֶץ [from·the·land] (336) + וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב [and·dwelt] (318) + אֶל־הַמִּטָּֽה [to·the·bed] (90) = 2824.
Radak
"And his servants urged him." It is like va-yiftzeru, as in "and he urged them greatly."
“Unto the bed.” Just as “upon the bed” is understood, so too “unto the mountains” means “upon the mountains,” i.e., he did not eat upon the mountains. And there are many examples like this.
Metzudat Zion
And they urged. It is the letter-transposition of (Genesis 19:3): 'and he urged them,' and its meaning is multiplication of words.
And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she made haste, and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof;
verse value 4717
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·house" (בַּבַּ֔יִת, 4 letters) and the longest is "calf·stall" (עֵֽגֶל־מַרְבֵּק֙, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·to·the·wife" (וְלָאִשָּׁ֤ה), "calf·stall" (עֵֽגֶל־מַרְבֵּק֙), "and·slaughtered·it" (וַתִּזְבָּחֵ֑הוּ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·took·flour" (root לקח, 78x in I Samuel); "in·the·house" (root בית, 75x in I Samuel); "and·to·the·wife" (root אשה, 54x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·slaughtered·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. 6 of the verse's 9 words begin with the letter ו. Full calculation: וְלָאִשָּׁ֤ה [and·to·the·wife] (342) + עֵֽגֶל־מַרְבֵּק֙ [calf·stall] (445) + בַּבַּ֔יִת [in·the·house] (414) + וַתְּמַהֵ֖ר [and·hastened] (651) + וַתִּזְבָּחֵ֑הוּ [and·slaughtered·it] (434) + וַתִּקַּח־קֶ֣מַח [and·took·flour] (662) + וַתָּ֔לָשׁ [and·kneaded] (736) + וַתֹּפֵ֖הוּ [and·baked·it] (497) + מַצּֽוֹת [unleavened·bread] (536) = 4717.
Rashi
A fat calf. (Translation:) A fat calf.
Radak
"A fatted calf." A fattened calf; and the place where they fatten it is called a marbek. And so the Targum renders it: a fatted calf. And like it in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: he brought her into the stall and she threshed.
"And she baked unleavened cakes of it." The alef is elided from the spelling [of the word], and it says this to inform us that she hastened in baking it and did not wait for it to become leavened, in order to feed him quickly, because she saw that he was greatly alarmed. And I see fit to explain here the practice of the ov according to what is found written. Our Sages of blessed memory said: a ba'al ov is one who speaks from between the joints and from between his elbows; a yid'oni is one who places in his mouth a bone of an animal whose name is yadua, and they speak of things to come. And the explanation of "from between the joints" is that he causes a low voice to be heard from between the joints of his limbs and from beneath his armpits, by means of actions that he performs, striking with his arms. And some say that he even burns incense to a demon, and the demon is the one who answers and speaks. And they said further: a ba'al ov is either one who raises [the dead] by his zekhur or one who inquires by a skull. The explanation of "one who raises by his zekhur" is that he makes it seem that he raises the dead, who speaks and sounds a voice from beneath the earth, from over the mouth of the grave, in the way that Saul heard the voice of Samuel; and the voice is very low, as it is written, "and your voice shall be like an ov out of the ground." The one who inquires by a skull is also called ov, and its explanation is that he has with him a skull of shoham stone [onyx] or of clear glass, and he performs actions until it seems that a very low voice comes out, and it seems to him that with that voice he asks and is answered. Thus our Sages of blessed memory explained. And the great sage the Rambam, of blessed memory, explained the practice of ov — that with the striking of his arms — saying that he holds a rod of myrtle in his hand and waves it, and he speaks softly with words known to them, after having burned incense known to them, until the inquirer hears as if one were speaking with him and answering him about what he asks, with words from beneath the earth in a very low voice, as if it were not discernible to the ear but perceived in thought. And the explanation of the skull practice is that he takes the skull of a dead person and burns incense to it and divines with it, until there is heard, as it were, a voice coming out from beneath his armpit, exceedingly low, and it answers him. And our Sages of blessed memory said further: three things were said concerning "one who raises by his zekhur" — the one who raises him sees him but does not hear him; the one who needs him hears him but does not see him; one who does not need him neither hears him nor sees him. So with Samuel: the woman who raised him saw him and did not hear him; Saul, who needed him, heard him and did not see him; and Abner and Amasa, who did not need him, neither heard him nor saw him. And we have seen a dispute among the Geonim in this matter, and all of them agreed that the practice of ov is vanity and emptiness, words of falsehood and mockery. But some of them say that Samuel did not speak with Saul — God forbid; Samuel did not rise from his grave, nor did he speak — rather, the woman did everything by trickery. For she immediately recognized that it was Saul, but in order to show him that she had recognized and discovered this through her craft she said, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" And the way of the ov-woman is to bring a person who speaks out of his hiding place in a low voice; and when Saul came to inquire of her, and she saw him alarmed, and knew that on the morrow he was going out to war and all Israel was in great fear, and she knew what Saul had done — that he had killed the priests of the Lord — she placed in the mouth of the speaker the words said in this passage. And where it says "And Samuel said to Saul," that reflects Saul's own thought, for he was thinking that Samuel was speaking to him. And when he said, "and you did not execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek" — this matter was known, for from that hour Samuel had said to him, "and He has rejected you from being king." And when he said "to your fellow, to David" — this was known throughout Israel, for David had been anointed king. And when he said, "tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me" — he said this by way of conjecture. This is the explanation of Rav Shmuel ben Chofni the Gaon, of blessed memory. And he said: even though the plain sense of the words of the Sages of blessed memory in the Gemara is that it was true that the woman brought Samuel to life, the words cannot be accepted where reason contradicts them. But Rav Saadiah and Rav Hai, the Geonim of blessed memory, said: it is true — for it is far-fetched that the woman would know the future, or that she could revive the dead by the craft of ov; rather, the Creator, blessed be He, brought Samuel to life in order to tell Saul all the events that were destined to come upon him; and the woman, who knew nothing of all this, was alarmed, as it is said, "and she cried out with a loud voice." And what the woman said — "Whom shall I bring up for you?" — was mockery, for her intention was to act according to her custom. These are their words. And one must wonder at the words of these Geonim: if the Holy One, blessed be He, brought Samuel to life in order to tell Saul the events coming upon him, why did He not tell him through dreams, or through the Urim, or through the prophets, rather than through a woman, a mistress of ov? And furthermore, how could it have escaped Saul — who was wise, and a king who had with him many great sages — if the matter of ov is done by a person speaking out of a hiding place? Who would say that he would err in this? Reason does not accept this. And the correct view is what we have explained.
Metzudat David
And she baked it into unleavened cakes. So that it not be delayed until it leavens:
Metzudat Zion
A pen. Fattened in the pen, and it is the place where they fatten calves, similarly (Amos 6:4): 'and calves from within the pen'.
And kneaded. From the word 'kneading'.
And baked it. From the word 'baking'.
and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.
verse value 1885
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. Verse gematria: 1885 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·brought·it" (וַתַּגֵּ֧שׁ, 4 letters) and the longest is "before·Saul" (לִפְנֵי־שָׁא֛וּל, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·brought·it" (וַתַּגֵּ֧שׁ), "and·before" (וְלִפְנֵ֥י), "and·they·ate" (וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·went" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel); "before·Saul" (root פנים, 93x in I Samuel); "that" (root הוא, 82x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·ate', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַתַּגֵּ֧שׁ [and·brought·it] (709) + לִפְנֵי־שָׁא֛וּל [before·Saul] (507) + וְלִפְנֵ֥י [and·before] (176) + עֲבָדָ֖יו [his·servants] (92) + וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ [and·they·ate] (73) + וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ [and·they·arose] (162) + וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ [and·went] (72) + בַּלַּ֥יְלָה [in·the·night] (77) + הַהֽוּא [that] (17) = 1885.
Metzudat Zion
Malbim