The Meaning of 1 Samuel 28:9 Explained

1 Samuel 28:9

KJV: And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

YLT: And the woman saith unto him, 'Lo, thou hast known that which Saul hath done, that he hath cut off those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; and why art thou laying a snare for my soul -- to put me to death?'

Darby: And the woman said to him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul has done, how he has cut off the necromancers and the soothsayers out of the land; and why layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

ASV: And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the woman  said  unto him, Behold, thou knowest  what Saul  hath done,  how he hath cut off  those that have familiar spirits,  and the wizards,  out of the land:  wherefore then layest thou a snare  for my life,  to cause me to die? 

What does 1 Samuel 28:9 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 28:1-14 - Resorting To A Familiar Spirit
This chapter records the climax to which Saul's sins led, and which sealed his fate. See 1 Chronicles 10:13-14. He went back to that which he had put away and sought counsel of a familiar spirit, 2 Peter 2:20-22.
The soul cannot live apart from the unseen world. It is its native element. Divorce it from God, and it will fill the empty space with demons. When the king could get no answer to his questions by the usual means, he sent his servants, in desperation, to seek for a medium. Had he been right with God, there would have been no need for this. It is the decay of the old religious spirit that nowadays gives occasion for the rise of crystal-gazing, palmistry and spirit-rapping. What a tragedy was presented that night in the witch's hut, and how terrible must have been Saul's long tramp to and fro, between his own encampment and Endor, which lay in the rear of the Philistine host! It is an evil thing and a bitter to forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew out "broken cisterns that can hold no water," Jeremiah 2:13; Jeremiah 2:19. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 28

1  Achish puts confidence in David
3  Saul having destroyed the witches
4  and now in his fear forsaken of God
7  has recourse to a witch
8  who, encouraged by Saul, raises up Samuel
15  Saul hearing his ruin, faints
21  The woman and his servants refresh him with meat

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 28:9 mean?

And said the woman to him Look you know - what has done Saul how he has cut off - the mediums and the spiritists from the land Then why do you lay a snare for my life to cause me to die
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּ֨ה אַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־ עָשָׂ֣ה שָׁא֔וּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִכְרִ֛ית אֶת־ הָאֹב֥וֹת וְאֶת־ הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖י מִן־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלָמָ֥ה אַתָּ֛ה מִתְנַקֵּ֥שׁ בְּנַפְשִׁ֖י ؟ לַהֲמִיתֵֽנִי

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָֽאִשָּׁ֜ה  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֵלָ֗יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנֵּ֨ה  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עָשָׂ֣ה  has  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
שָׁא֔וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  how 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הִכְרִ֛ית  he  has  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאֹב֥וֹת  the  mediums 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֹוב 
Sense: water skin bottle.
הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖י  the  spiritists 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִדְּעֹנִי  
Sense: a knower, one who has a familiar spirit.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְלָמָ֥ה  Then  why 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אַתָּ֛ה  do  you 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
מִתְנַקֵּ֥שׁ  lay  a  snare 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָקַשׁ  
Sense: to knock, strike, bring down.
בְּנַפְשִׁ֖י  for  my  life 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
؟ לַהֲמִיתֵֽנִי  to  cause  me  to  die 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Samuel 28:9?

Loading Information...