1 Samuel 28 · Verse 8

1 Samuel 28:8

And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
1 Samuel 28:8, King James Version

1 Samuel 28:8 in other translations

BSBSo Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”
WEBSaul disguised himself and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. Then he said, “Please consult for me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to you.”
ASVAnd Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, Divine unto me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee.
YLTAnd Saul disguiseth himself and putteth on other garments, and goeth, he and two of the men with him, and they come in unto the woman by night, and he saith, ‘Divine, I pray thee, to me by the familiar spirit, and cause to come up to me him whom I say unto thee.'
DARBYAnd Saul disguised himself, and put on other garments, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine to me by the spirit of Python, and bring me him up whom I shall name to thee.
BBESo Saul, putting on other clothing, so that he might not be seen to be the king, took two men with him and went to the woman by night; and he said, Now, with the help of the spirit which you have, make the person whose name I will give you come up.
WebsterAnd Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring up for me whom I shall name to thee.

What does 1 Samuel 28:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 28:7-14

7-8. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit--From the energetic measures which he himself had taken for extirpating the dealers in magical arts (the profession having been declared a capital offense), his most attached courtiers might have had reason to doubt the possibility of gratifying their master's wish. Anxious inquiries, however, led to the discovery of a woman living…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 28:7-14 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Saul disguised himself - That he might not be known by the woman, lest she, being terrified, should refuse to use her art.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 28:7-19

When we go from the plain path of duty, every thing draws us further aside, and increases our perplexity and temptation. Saul desires the woman to bring one from the dead, with whom he wished to speak; this was expressly forbidden, De 18:11. All real or pretended witchcraft or conjuration, is a malicious or an ignorant attempt to gain knowledge or help from some creature, when it cannot be had from the Lord in the…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 28:7-19 →

1 Samuel 28:8 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.

וַיִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂvai.yit.cha.Pesand he disguised himselfH2664
שָׁא֗וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
וַיִּלְבַּשׁ֙vai.yil.Bashand he was clothedH3847
בְּגָדִ֣יםbe.ga.DimgarmentsH899
אֲחֵרִ֔ים'a.che.RimotherH312
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
ה֗וּאHu'heH1931
וּשְׁנֵ֤יu.she.Neiand twoH8147
אֲנָשִׁים֙'a.na.ShimmenH582
עִמּ֔וֹi.Mowith himH5973
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand they cameH935
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָאִשָּׁ֖הha.'i.Shahthe womanH802
לָ֑יְלָהLa.ye.lahnightH3915
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
קָֽסֳמִיka.so.mi-divineH7080
נָ֥אna'pleaseH4994
לִי֙lifor <the> me
בָּא֔וֹבba.'ovby <the> necromancyH178
וְהַ֣עֲלִיve.Ha.'a.liand bring upH5927
לִ֔יLifor <the> me
אֵ֥ת'et<obj.>H853
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[the one] whomH834
אֹמַ֖ר'o.MarI will sayH559
אֵלָֽיִךְ\׃'e.La.yikhto youH413

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 28:8

  • 1 Chronicles 10:13

    So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

  • Isaiah 8:19

    And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

  • 1 Kings 22:30

    And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

  • 2 Chronicles 18:29

    And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.

  • 2 Chronicles 35:22

    Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

  • Deuteronomy 18:10-11

    There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

  • Jeremiah 23:24

    Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 14:2-3

    And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.

  • John 3:19

    And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

  • Job 24:13-15

    They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

  • 1 Kings 22:34

    And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
disguised.
1Ki 14:2,3; 22:30,34; Job 24:13-15; Jer 23:24; Joh 3:19
I pray thee.
De 18:11; 1Ch 10:13; Isa 8:19
bring me.
15

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

Context

  • 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.

  • 1 Samuel 28:8

    And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

  • 1 Samuel 28:9

    And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

Read all of 1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y disfrazóse Saúl, y púsose otros vestidos, y fuése con dos hombres, y vinieron á aquella mujer de noche; y él dijo: Yo te ruego que me adivines por el espíritu de pythón, y me hagas subir á quien yo te dijere.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Saül se déguisa et revêtit d’autres vêtements, et il s’en alla, lui et deux hommes avec lui, et ils vinrent de nuit chez la femme. Et il dit: Devine pour moi, je te prie, par un esprit, et fais-moi monter celui que je te dirai.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Saul verstellte sich und zog andere Kleider an, und ging hin, er und zwei Männer mit ihm, und sie kamen zu dem Weibe bei der Nacht; und er sprach: Wahrsage mir doch durch den Totenbeschwörergeist und bringe mir herauf, wen ich dir sagen werde.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Mutavit ergo habitum suum, vestitusque est aliis vestimentis, et abiit ipse, et duo viri cum eo: veneruntque ad mulierem nocte, et ait illi: Divina mihi in pythone, et suscita mihi quem dixero tibi.