1 Samuel 28:21

And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

And the woman {H802} came {H935} unto Saul {H7586}, and saw {H7200} that he was sore {H3966} troubled {H926}, and said {H559} unto him, Behold, thine handmaid {H8198} hath obeyed {H8085} thy voice {H6963}, and I have put {H7760} my life {H5315} in my hand {H3709}, and have hearkened {H8085} unto thy words {H1697} which thou spakest {H1696} unto me.

The woman approached Sha'ul, saw that he was panic-stricken and said to him, "Here, your servant listened to what you said; I put my life in my hands and did what you requested me to do.

When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.

And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thy handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

Commentary

1 Samuel 28:21 vividly portrays the immediate aftermath of King Saul's unauthorized and desperate encounter with the Medium of Endor, capturing the woman's reaction to Saul's troubled state and her assertion of personal risk.

Context of 1 Samuel 28:21

This verse is set during a dark period in King Saul's reign. Having been rejected by God and receiving no divine guidance through conventional means like dreams, Urim, or prophets (1 Samuel 28:6), Saul, in his desperation, sought a medium, despite having previously outlawed such practices himself (1 Samuel 28:3). The woman of Endor, initially hesitant due to Saul's own decree, proceeded with his request after he swore to protect her. Upon the appearance of Samuel's spirit (or an apparition mimicking him), Saul was greatly distressed. Verse 21 describes the woman's compassionate response to his visible suffering and her reminder of the extreme danger she undertook to obey him.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Desperation Leading to Forbidden Paths: Saul's profound spiritual and emotional turmoil drove him to acts explicitly forbidden by God's law. This episode serves as a powerful illustration of the dangers when individuals, even leaders, abandon divine counsel and seek answers through means that violate God's revealed will, such as divination or necromancy.
  • The Cost of Obedience (Human Perspective): The woman's statement, "I have put my life in my hand," underscores the significant personal risk she perceived in fulfilling Saul's command. This idiom highlights the extreme peril involved in engaging in an illegal and spiritually condemned act, even for a king.
  • Consequences of Rebellion: The entire narrative surrounding Saul's visit to the Medium of Endor is a tragic commentary on the ultimate futility and dire consequences of persistent disobedience to God, culminating in Saul's downfall and death.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "sore troubled" vividly conveys Saul's severe emotional and physical distress. He was not merely upset but deeply agitated, likely overwhelmed by the shock of the apparition and the grim prophecy delivered concerning his imminent defeat and death. The idiomatic expression "put my life in my hand" (or "put my soul in my palm") is a potent ancient Near Eastern metaphor for undertaking an extremely dangerous, life-threatening endeavor, akin to holding something precious and fragile that could be easily lost or crushed.

Practical Application

The account of Saul and the Medium of Endor offers enduring lessons for believers today. It serves as a stark warning against resorting to forbidden or ungodly means to find answers, comfort, or guidance, especially during times of great desperation or spiritual dryness. When God seems silent, the answer is never to turn to practices condemned by His Word. Instead, this narrative calls us to a deeper reliance on God, renewed repentance, persistent prayer, and steadfast trust in His sovereign plan, even when His ways are mysterious. It underscores the importance of unwavering obedience to God's commands, regardless of personal convenience or popular opinion, reminding us that true peace and guidance come only through Him.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Judges 12:3

    And when I saw that ye delivered [me] not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

  • 1 Samuel 19:5

    For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest [it], and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

  • Job 13:14

    Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
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