The Meaning of 1 Samuel 28:20 Explained

1 Samuel 28:20

KJV: Then Saul fell straightway all along on 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.

YLT: And Saul hasteth and falleth -- the fulness of his stature -- to the earth, and feareth greatly because of the words of Samuel; also power was not in him, for he had not eaten bread all the day, and all the night.

Darby: And Saul fell straightway his full length on 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Saul  fell  straightway  all  along  on 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. 

What does 1 Samuel 28:20 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 28:15-25 - Listening To His Own Doom
That there should be an apparition of Samuel occasions no difficulty, for as Moses and Elijah were permitted to speak with our Lord of the "decease" to be accomplished at Jerusalem, so God may have specially permitted the prophet to speak with Saul. We may believe that these sentences passed between them, without any aid on the part of the medium. From the lips of the prophet came no words of comfort nor hope. Nothing could avert the descending avalanche of destruction. As Saul had sown, so must he reap; as he had fallen, so must he lie.
While the king sat on that divan, what memories must have passed through his mind! The first happy days of his reign, Jabesh-gilead, the loyalty of his people. Then he saw how, step by step, that cursed jealousy of David had dragged him down into the turbid current that was now bearing him to a suicide's end. It is one of the most pitiful spectacles in history. But let us be warned; let us watch and pray; let us guard against the first tiny rift within the lute of life! [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 28:20 mean?

And immediately Saul and fell all full length on the ground and was afraid dreadfully because of the words of Samuel and strength no there was in him for no he had eaten food all day or all night
וַיְמַהֵ֣ר שָׁא֗וּל וַיִּפֹּ֤ל מְלֹא־ קֽוֹמָתוֹ֙ אַ֔רְצָה וַיִּרָ֥א מְאֹ֖ד מִדִּבְרֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל גַּם־ כֹּ֙חַ֙ לֹא־ הָ֣יָה ב֔וֹ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אָכַל֙ לֶ֔חֶם כָּל־ הַיּ֖וֹם וְכָל־ הַלָּֽיְלָה

וַיְמַהֵ֣ר  And  immediately 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
שָׁא֗וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַיִּפֹּ֤ל  and  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
קֽוֹמָתוֹ֙  full  length 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹומָה  
Sense: height.
אַ֔רְצָה  on  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּרָ֥א  and  was  afraid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מְאֹ֖ד  dreadfully 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
מִדִּבְרֵ֣י  because  of  the  words 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל  of  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
כֹּ֙חַ֙  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָ֣יָה  there  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ב֔וֹ  in  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לֹ֤א  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָכַל֙  he  had  eaten 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֔חֶם  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
הַיּ֖וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְכָל־  or  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַלָּֽיְלָה  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Samuel 28:20?

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