John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment , etc.] Stripped himself of his royal robes, or military apparel, as supreme commander, and clothed himself in the habit of a peasant or a common soldier; and this not only that he might not be known by the woman, but that he might pass from his army incognito, and it might not be known that he was gone, and especially whither he was gone: and he went, and two men with him : these, according to the tradition of the Jews f540 , were Abner and Amasa; but it is not probable that Saul should leave his army destitute of their general at such a time as this: and they came to the woman by night ; not only that they might not be seen, but because it was a work of darkness they were going about, and it was only in the night season that such persons exercised their black art; though the Jews say it was day, only because of their distress it was like tonight with them; but the literal sense is best: and he said, I pray thee divine unto me by the familiar spirit ; exercise her art of divination, by the assistance of the familiar spirit she conversed with: and bring me up whom I shall name unto thee : that is, from the dead; for necromancy was the kind of divination she professed; and such persons pretended to have a power to bring up a deceased person, and consult with him about secret and future things.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-19 - When we go from the plain path of duty, every thing draws us furthe aside, and increases our perplexity and temptation. Saul desires the woman to bring one from the dead, with whom he wished to speak; thi was expressly forbidden, De 18:11. All real or pretended witchcraft of conjuration, is a malicious or an ignorant attempt to gain knowledge of help from some creature, when it cannot be had from the Lord in the path of duty. While Samuel was living, we never read of Saul's going to advise with him in any difficulties; it had been well for him if he had. But now he is dead, "Bring me up Samuel." Many who despise an persecute God's saints and ministers when living, would be glad to have them again, when they are gone. The whole shows that it was no huma fraud or trick. Though the woman could not cause Samuel's being sent yet Saul's inquiry might be the occasion of it. The woman's surpris and terror proved that it was an unusual and unexpected appearance Saul had despised Samuel's solemn warnings in his lifetime, yet no that he hoped, as in defiance of God, to obtain some counsel an encouragement from him, might not God permit the soul of his departe prophet to appear to Saul, to confirm his former sentence, and denounc his doom? The expression, "Thou and thy sons shall be with me," mean no more than that they shall be in the eternal world. There appear much solemnity in God's permitting the soul of a departed prophet to come as a witness from heaven, to confirm the word he had spoken of earth.
Original Hebrew ויתחפשׂ2664 שׁאול7586 וילבשׁ3847 בגדים899 אחרים312 וילך1980 הוא1931 ושׁני8147 אנשׁים582 עמו5973 ויבאו935 אל413 האשׁה802 לילה3915 ויאמר559 קסומי7080 נא7080 לי באוב178 והעלי5927 לי את853 אשׁר834 אמר559 אליך׃413
