He was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly: these two expressions, joined by the conjunction and, do not refer to two separate facts. Rather they are different ways of talking about the same thing. So it may be advisable to find some other way to join them together. For example, one may say “he was so afraid that his heart beat wildly.” Or, as in Revised English Bible, “Saul was afraid, indeed struck to the heart by terror.” Regarding the verb trembled, see the comments on 13.7.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And when Saul inquired: literally “And Saul inquired.” The relationship between verses 5 and 6 may be made clearer by saying “and so,” as Good News Translation has done. The reason that Saul inquired of the LORD was that he was afraid of the Philistine army (see also verse 15). Many languages will require that translators either specify what Saul asked the LORD (Good News Translation “what to do”) or render the verb differently (New Century Version “prayed”).

By dreams: it was believed that God spoke to prophets in their dreams (for example, Num 12.6; Jer 23.25).

Urim: regarding Urim and Thummim, see the comment on 14.41. These were small objects used by Israelite priests to find out God’s will. It is not known precisely how they were used (see Exo 28.30; Num 27.21; Deut 33.8; Ezra 2.63; Neh 7.65). Though the Hebrew text says only by Urim, Good News Translation adds the words “and Thummin” because the two were often used together. Since the writer does not mention “Thummin,” there is no good reason to add it here. Since these objects were handled by priests, Contemporary English Version translates by Urim as “by a priest.”

Prophets: see the comments at 3.20 and 9.9.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Servants: in the present context this probably does not refer to household servants but to “officers” (Contemporary English Version) or “courtiers” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). See the comments on 8.14.

The word rendered medium is literally “mistress of the spirit” or “mistress of the ghost.” On the word medium see the comments at verse 3. The words inquire of her may be translated “that I may consult the dead through her” (so Fox, who places the words “the dead” in parentheses to show that they are not written in the Hebrew).

Behold: the focusing particle here fixes attention on the location of the kind of person that Saul was looking for.

The town of Endor (mentioned in Josh 17.11) was located in the territory of Manasseh a short distance northeast of the Philistine camp, so Saul had to cross territory under Philistine control to go to Endor.

The direct quotations of this verse may be made indirect as follows:

• Then Saul told his officers to find a woman who was able to communicate with the dead so that he could go to her in order to ask some questions. And his officers told him that there was such a person in the town of Endor.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Since Saul had to pass through territory controlled by the Philistine army, he disguised himself and traveled at night. Putting on different clothing was at least a part of Saul’s disguise, so it may be misleading to use the conjunction and between the first two verbs in this verse. Contemporary English Version translates the meaning of the two together as follows: “Saul put on different clothing so nobody would recognize him.” In other languages the idea of disguising may have to be rendered by saying something like “fooled people by changing his appearance.”

The meaning of Divine for me by a spirit is clearly expressed in Revised English Bible: “Tell me my fortune by consulting the dead.”

Bring up: that is, from under the earth in Sheol, where the dead were believed to be. The verb form is causative, literally “cause to come up.” See verses 11 and 13.

Whomever I shall name to you: that is, “the person whose name I am about to say” or “the spirit of the person I will name.” In Hebrew thought, a person did not have a spirit. Rather the word often translated “spirit” refers to those aspects of a human being such as “sense,” “mind,” and “breath.” Perhaps a rendering such as “Call up the person [or, the man] I name” may be better than “call up the spirit of the man” if the “spirit” is understood as something other than the living person.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In some languages it will be appropriate to introduce the quotation with a contrasting conjunction, since the woman’s response shows reluctance to do what had been requested of her. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, An American Translation, and New American Bible, for example, begin the verse with “But.”

The woman’s statement that Saul has driven the mediums and the wizards out of Israel was anticipated in verse 3. She is afraid that if she does as her disguised visitor requests, she will be killed, since the king had forbidden people to consult the spirits of the dead. The verb cut off is the same as that in 2.33. As noted there, it is sometimes difficult to know whether this verb means “to kill” or “to separate or expel from the community.” Good News Translation (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) has chosen the meaning “to expel” in this context. Similar are New American Bible (“in driving the mediums and fortune-tellers out of the land”) and New Jerusalem Bible (“has outlawed … from the country”). Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente similarly says “he has prohibited the practice … in all the country.” The meaning “to kill” is not probable here.

The mediums and the wizards: see the comments on verse 3 above.

The land: here, as in verse 3, the land refers to the land of Israel.

Laying a snare for my life to bring about my death: this wording may prove difficult to render literally in some cases. The woman is asking why her visitor wants to catch her in an activity which she is convinced will bring about her death. In some languages the question format may also have to be transformed to a more categorical statement: “You are trying to trap me and get me killed” (New Century Version).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

But: the majority of modern versions translate the common Hebrew conjunction in this way in order to show the contrast between the woman’s refusal and Saul’s insistence that she could do what he wanted without fear of punishment.

Swore to her by the LORD: one version of the Septuagint omits the words by the LORD, and this is followed by Revised English Bible, Anchor Bible, and Klein. The problem is not treated in Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, and it is probably better to retain the doubtful words.

As the LORD lives: see the comments on this oath in 14.39.

No punishment shall come upon you: the noun rendered punishment may mean “sin,” “guilt,” or “punishment.” Anchor Bible says “no guilt will fall upon you.” Klein says “no iniquity will come upon you.” The meaning seems to be that the woman will not be considered guilty, with the implication that she therefore will not be punished. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh may provide a helpful model: “you won’t get into trouble over this.”

For this thing: that is, “for doing this” (Good News Translation) or “for doing what I ask you to do.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The first occurrence of the verb said may be better translated “asked,” since it is followed by a question. Similarly, the second can be translated “answered” in this context.

Bring up: see verse 8.

If necessary Saul’s response may be translated as indirect discourse: “And he told her that he wanted her to call Samuel.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The text leaves implicit the fact that the woman apparently did indeed cause Samuel to come into her presence so that she could actually identify him.

No reason is given in the text to explain how the woman recognized Saul after seeing Samuel. Any answer is simply speculation and should not be part of the translation of this verse.

The verbs cried out and said [to Saul] seem to refer to two different utterances. What the woman cried out is not specified, but it was very probably a shout of apprehension with no specific words. Her fear seems to be based not on the recognition of Samuel but on the fact that at the same time she realized that her visitor was really King Saul. Contemporary English Version makes two sentences: “… she screamed. Then she turned to Saul and said….”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .