1 Samuel 28:11
ESV
Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me."
NIV
Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" "Bring up Samuel," he said.
NASB
Then the woman said, 'Whom shall I bring up for you?' And he said, 'Bring up Samuel for me.'
CSB
"Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?" the woman asked. "Bring up Samuel for me," he answered.
NLT
Finally, the woman said, 'Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?' 'Call up Samuel,' Saul replied.
KJV
Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
NKJV
Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
What does 1 Samuel 28:11 mean?
The medium Saul has come to in the middle of the night has resisted helping him, sensing a trap. The practice of divination and necromancy is punishable by death in Israel. This is according to both the Mosaic law (Leviticus 20:27) and Saul's own decrees. Yet Saul has sworn that she will not be punished if she does this thing. The woman doesn't know who her client is, but she's reassured (1 Samuel 28:8–10).She asks for the name of the spirit he wants to call up from the dead. He tells her to call up Samuel. It's unclear whether the woman knows that the "Samuel" Saul wants to contact is the famous prophet of the Lord. She may have just required a name for the incantations used in the ritual. The writer seems to avoid describing the ritual itself or any of the incantations, perhaps because he does not want to provide an example for future readers to follow to try to replicate the practice.
What becomes clear is that the medium did not expect to see Samuel the prophet. When he appears, she is terrified. On one hand, this is probably because she wasn't expecting to see a real spirit. But the results also make her realize that her customer is the king. Saul, again, reassures her that she's safe. But when Samuel gives his message, they both learn that Saul isn't safe, himself (1 Samuel 28:12–14, 19).
