1 Samuel 28 · Verse 6

1 Samuel 28:6

And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
1 Samuel 28:6, King James Version

1 Samuel 28:6 in other translations

BSBHe inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
WEBWhen Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets.
ASVAnd when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
YLTand Saul asketh at Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not answered him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
DARBYAnd Saul inquired of Jehovah; but Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
BBEAnd when Saul went for directions to the Lord, the Lord gave him no answer, by a dream or by the Urim or by the prophets.
WebsterAnd when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

What does 1 Samuel 28:6 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 The Lord answered him not - He used the three methods by which supernatural intelligence was ordinarily given: - 1. Dreams. - The person prayed for instruction; and begged that God would answer by a significant dream. 2. Urim. - This was a kind of oracular answer given to the high priest when clothed with the ephod, on which were the Urim and Thummim. How these communicated the answer, is not well known. 3. Prophets. - Who were requested by the party concerned to consult the Lord on the subject in question, and to report his answer. The prophets at that time could only be those in the schools of the prophets, which Samuel had established at Naioth and Gibeah. These were the only successors of Samuel that we know of.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 28:1-6

David could not refuse Achish without danger. If he promised assistance, and then stood neuter, or went over to the Israelites, he would behave with ingratitude and treachery. If he fought against Israel, he would sin greatly. It seemed impossible that he should get out of this difficulty with a clear conscience; but his evasive answer, intended to gain time, was not consistent with the character of an Israelite…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 28:1-6 →

1 Samuel 28:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁאַ֤לvai.yish.'Aland he enquiredH7592
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
בַּֽיהוָ֔הba.Yah.wehby YahwehH3068
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
עָנָ֖הוּ'a.Na.huhe answered himH6030
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
גַּ֧םgamneitherH1571
בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹתba.cha.lo.Motby <the> dreamsH2472
גַּ֥םgamnorH1571
בָּאוּרִ֖יםba.'u.Rimby <the> UrimH224
גַּ֥םgamnorH1571
בַּנְּבִיאִֽם\׃ba.ne.vi.'Imby <the> prophetsH5030

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 28:6

  • Numbers 12:6

    And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

  • 1 Samuel 14:37

    And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.

  • Lamentations 2:9

    Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord.

  • Numbers 27:21

    And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

  • Ezekiel 20:1-3

    And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord, and sat before me. Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

  • James 4:3

    Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

  • Deuteronomy 33:8

    And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

  • John 9:31

    Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

  • Jeremiah 23:28

    The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.

  • Exodus 28:30

    And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

  • Psalms 74:9

    We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

  • Matthew 1:20

    But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
enquired.
14:37; 1Ch 10:14; Pr 1:,27,28; La 2:9; Eze 20:1-3; Joh 9:31
Jas 4:3
by dreams.
Ge 28:12-15; 46:2-4; Nu 12:6; Job 33:14-16; Jer 23:28; Mt 1:20
by Urim.
Ex 28:20; Nu 27:21; De 33:8
by prophets.
Ps 74:9; La 2:9; Eze 20:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 28:5

    And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

  • 1 Samuel 28:6

    And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

  • 1 Samuel 28:7

    Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En–dor.

Read all of 1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y consultó Saúl á Jehová; pero Jehová no le respondió, ni por sueños, ni por Urim, ni por profetas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Saül interrogea l’ Éternel, et l’ Éternel ne lui répondit pas, ni par les songes, ni par l’urim, ni par les prophètes.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Saul befragte Jehova; aber Jehova antwortete ihm nicht, weder durch Träume, noch durch die Urim, noch durch die Propheten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Consuluitque Dominum, et non respondit ei neque per somnia, neque per sacerdotes, neque per prophetas.