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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clearImportance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV)“What does he look like?” he asked. ¶ “An old man’s appearing,” she said, “wearing a robe.” ¶ Sha’ulknew it was Shemuel, and he knelt down and bowedhis face to the ground.
Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
BrLXXΚαὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, τί ἔγνως; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἄνδρα ὄρθιον ἀναβαίνοντα ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οὗτος διπλοΐδα ἀναβεβλημένος· καὶ ἔγνω Σαοὺλ, ὅτι οὗτος Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ἔκυψεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ. (Kai eipen autaʸ, ti egnōs; kai eipen autōi, andra orthion anabainonta ek taʸs gaʸs, kai houtos diploida anabeblaʸmenos; kai egnō Saʼoul, hoti houtos Samouaʸl, kai ekupsen epi prosōpon autou epi taʸn gaʸn, kai prosekunaʸsen autōi. )
BrTrAnd he said to her, What didst thou perceive? and she said to him, An upright man ascending out of the earth, and he was clothed with a mantle. And Saul knew that this was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the earth, and did obeisance to him.
ULTAnd he said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed, nostrils to the ground, and he bowed down.
USTSaul said, “What does he look like?” ¶ The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” ¶ Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
BSB § “What does he look like?” asked Saul. § “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” § So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.
OEBHe said to her, ‘What is his appearance?’ She said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.’ Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the earth in respect.
WEBBEHe said to her, “What does he look like?” ¶ She said, “An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe.” Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.
NETHe said to her, “What about his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!” ¶ Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down.
LSVAnd he says to her, “What [is] his form?” And she says, “An aged man is coming up, and he [is] covered with an upper robe”; and Saul knows that he [is] Samuel, and bows—face to her earth—and pays respect.
FBV“What does he look like?” Saul asked. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “He has a robe wrapped around him” Saul thought it must be Samuel, and he bowed facedown in respect.
T4TSaul said, “What does he look like?” ¶ The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” ¶ Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
LEBThen he said to her, “What is his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.”[fn] Then Saul realized that it was Samuel, and he knelt with his face to the ground and bowed down.
28:14Literally “he is wrapping himself with a robe”
BBEAnd he said to her, What is his form? And she said, It is an old man coming up covered with a robe. And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and with his face bent down to the earth he gave him honour.
JPSAnd he said unto her: 'What form is he of?' And she said: 'An old man cometh 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.
ASVAnd he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh 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 did obeisance.
DRAAnd he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.
YLTAnd he saith to her, 'What [is] his form?' and she saith, 'An aged man is coming up, and he [is] covered with an upper robe;' and Saul knoweth that he [is] Samuel, and boweth — face to thee earth — and doth obeisance.
DrbyAnd he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
RVAnd he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh 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 did obeisance.
WbstrAnd he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
KJB-1769And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.[fn] (And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh/comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. )
KJB-1611[fn]And he said vnto her, What forme is he of? And she said, An old man commeth vp, and he is couered with a mantle. And Saul perceiued that it was Samuel, and hee stouped with his face to the ground, and bowed himselfe. (And he said unto her, What formeis he of? And she said, An old man cometh/comes up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.)
BshpsHe saide vnto her againe: What fashion is he of? She aunswered: There cometh vp an olde man with a mantel vpon him. And Saul perceaued that it was Samuel, and he stowped with his face to the ground, and bowed him selfe. (He said unto her again: What fashion is he of? She answered: There cometh/comes up an old man with a mantel upon him. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stoopd with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.)
GnvaThen he said vnto her, What facion is hee of? And she answered, An olde man commeth vp lapped in a mantel: and Saul knewe that it was Samuel, and he enclined his face to the grounde, and bowed him selfe. (Then he said unto her, What facion is he of? And she answered, An old man cometh/comes up lapped in a mantel: and Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he enclined his face to the ground, and bowed himself. )
CvdlHe sayde: How is he shapened? She sayde: There commeth vp an olde man, and is clothed with a longe garment. Then perceaued Saul that it was Samuel, & bowed him selfe downe wt his face to the grounde, and worshiped him. (He said: How is he shapened? She said: There cometh/comes up an old man, and is clothed with a long garment. Then perceived Saul that it was Samuel, and bowed himself down with his face to the ground, and worshipped him.)
WyclAnd Saul seide to hir, What maner forme is of hym? And sche seide, An eld man stieth, and he is clothid with a mentil. And Saul vndirstood that it was Samuel; and Saul bowide hym silf on his face to the erthe, and worschipide. (And Saul said to her, What manner forme is of him? And she said, An old man stieth, and he is clothid with a mentil. And Saul understood that it was Samuel; and Saul bowide himself on his face to the earth, and worshipped.)
LuthEr sprach: Wie ist er gestaltet? Sie sprach: Es kommt ein alter Mann herauf und ist bekleidet mit einem Seidenrock. Da vernahm Saul, daß es Samuel war, und neigte sich mit seinem Antlitz zur Erde und betete an. (He spoke: How is he gestaltet? They/She spoke: It comes a alter man herauf and is clothed with one Seidenrock. So vernahm Saul, that it Samuel was, and neigte itself/yourself/themselves with his Antlitz to earth and prayed an.)
ClVgDixitque ei: Qualis est forma ejus? Quæ ait: Vir senex ascendit, et ipse amictus est pallio. Et intellexit Saul quod Samuel esset, et inclinavit se super faciem suam in terra, et adoravit. (And_he_said ei: Qualis it_is forma his? Quæ he_said: Vir senex went_up, and exactly_that/himself amictus it_is pallio. And intellexit Saul that Samuel esset, and inclinavit se over face his_own in terra, and adoravit. )
The Old Testament forbids occult practices, such as spiritism, divination, and necromancy, in which someone attempts to contact the dead, usually to seek guidance about the future (see Deut 18:9-12). Practicing necromancy and consulting a necromancer were capital offenses (Lev 20:6, 27; cp. 1 Sam 28:9). God’s people were instead to rely on God for divine guidance.
God buried Moses in an unmarked grave (Deut 34:6), possibly because he did not want the Israelites to make Moses’ grave a shrine, present offerings to his spirit, worship him, or attempt to consult his spirit. They may have been prone to these sorts of practices because of their time in Egypt and because of Moses’ stature and his role in mediating Israel’s covenant with God.
The Old Testament makes it plain that the dead cannot be contacted (cp. 2 Sam 12:23; Job 14:10-12; Pss 88:10; 115:17). Samuel is the only known exception; God apparently commanded him to return and speak (see 1 Sam 28:12-19). Saul’s sin in consulting a medium was so severe that the Chronicler singles out this failure in commenting on Saul’s downfall (see 1 Chr 10:13-14). There is never any justification for seeking advice from the dead when we have the living word of God to guide us (2 Tim 3:15-17; Heb 4:12-13).
The Bible makes it clear that David was specially chosen and raised up by God to be Israel’s next king (1 Samuel 16:1-13), but Scripture also makes it clear that David’s rise to power came about through several shrewd maneuvers on his part. Among these shrewd maneuvers were David’s clandestine attacks on hostile peoples to the south of Judah and his distribution of Amalekite plunder among the towns of southern Judah. These actions by David strengthened southern Judah against their enemies and no doubt cemented Judah’s loyalty to him as a champion for their well-being. It should be noted that the Bible affirms King Saul’s effectiveness at attacking Israel’s enemies (1 Samuel 14:47-52), especially the Philistines, but various character flaws and bad choices by Saul led to God’s selection of David as the one who would replace Saul as king (1 Samuel 13:1-23; 15:1-35). Because of this, Saul grew jealous of David and sought to kill him, forcing David to seek refuge among various towns throughout Judah and even in Philistia (1 Samuel 16-27). After seeking asylum in Gath for a time, David asked King Achish if he could move his family outside of the city, and Achish gave him the border town of Ziklag. Apparently Achish still tried to keep tabs on David’s activities, however, periodically asking him where he had recently raided. David would answer that he had been raiding the Negev of Judah, the Negev of the Jerahmeelites (see 1 Chronicles 2:42), or the Negev of the Kenites (Judges 1:16; see “Saul Attacks the Amalekites” map), which were inhabited by people loyal to Israel. In reality, however, David had been raiding the Amalekites (longtime enemies of Israel; see Genesis 14:7; Exodus 17; Numbers 13:29; 14:45; Deuteronomy 25:17-19), the Geshurites, and the Girzites. These peoples lived to the south of Israel’s territory and along the Way to Shur leading to Egypt. Soon after this King Achish mustered his men at Aphek to head to battle against the Israelites in the Jezreel Valley further north. As they set off for battle and the other Philistine rulers realized David and his men were accompanying them, the rulers protested and insisted that David would turn on them in battle. So Achish sent David home and continued on to Jezreel. When David and his men arrived at Ziklag, they found that Amalekites had burned the town and carried off their wives and children. David and his men set out to attack the Amalekites and recover their families. When they reached the Besor Brook, two hundred of the men were too exhausted to go on and stayed with the other equipment while the remaining four hundred men continued toward Amalek. Along the way, David’s men found an abandoned Egyptian slave of the Amalekites who had participated in the attack on Ziklag and on other locations in southern Judah. The man led David’s men to the Amalekite camp, and then they attacked the Amalekites and retrieved all the captives and plunder that had been taken. Only four hundred Amalekites were able to escape, fleeing on camels. David’s men then rejoined their fellow warriors at the Besor Brook and returned to Ziklag. David sent some of the plunder to the leaders of Ziklag as well as to other towns where David had roamed during the time when he was fleeing from Saul. Many of these towns were located in territory formerly inhabited by Amalekites (Numbers 13:29; 14:25, 43-45; Judges 1:16; see also Judges 12:15) and were likely among those attacked by the Amalekites and other hostile peoples to the south. After this, the Amalekites are only mentioned again in Scripture to note that David killed an Amalekite who himself had killed Saul (to fulfill what Saul requested of him), to note that Amalekite plunder was among the treasures that David dedicated to the Temple of the Lord (2 Samuel 8:9-12), and to recount how in the days of Hezekiah some Simeonites went to Mount Seir and destroyed the remnant of Amalekites that had survived (1 Chronicles 4:42-43).
