15 Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up? Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.
In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.' "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him.
David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here the ephod. Then said David, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
You will groan at your latter end, When your flesh and your body are consumed, And say, "How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof; Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
Haven't you procured this to yourself, in that you have forsaken Yahweh your God, when he led you by the way? Now what have you to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? or what have you to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 28
Commentary on 1 Samuel 28 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 28
Preparations are herein making for that war which will put an end to the life and reign of Saul, and so make way for David to the throne. In this war,
1Sa 28:1-6
Here is,
1Sa 28:7-14
Here,
1Sa 28:15-19
We have here the conference between Saul and Satan. Saul came in disguise (v. 8), but Satan soon discovered him, v. 12. Satan comes in disguise, in the disguise of Samuel's mantle, and Saul cannot discover him. Such is the disadvantage we labour under, in wrestling with the rulers of the darkness of this world, that they know us, while we are ignorant of their wiles and devices.
1Sa 28:20-25
We are here told how Saul received this terrible message from the ghost he consulted. He desired to be told what he should do (v. 15), but was only told what he had not done and what should be done to him. Those that expect any good counsel or comfort otherwise than from God, and in the way of his institutions, will be as wretchedly disappointed as Saul here was. Observe,