1 Samuel 28:12
ESV
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."
NIV
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
NASB
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, 'Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!'
CSB
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, "Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!"
NLT
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, 'You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!'
KJV
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
NKJV
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
What does 1 Samuel 28:12 mean?
King Saul is visiting a medium in hopes of guidance from Samuel's spirit. He is afraid of the upcoming battle with the Philistines. He knows he's breaking God's law—he even rid the land of mediums. But he's desperate. He disguises himself and reassures the witch she won't be harmed. Then he asks her to call up Samuel (1 Samuel 28:4–8).Everything about the woman's reaction suggests this was not an ordinary spirit-summoning for her. Commentators speculate about what this means. Some suggest that the woman and most mediums were merely con artists who made their living by pretending to communicate with the dead loved ones of their clients. That certainly happens today. If that's the case, the woman would have been greatly surprised to see an actual spirit respond to her summons.
Other commentators suggest she falsely believed her powers produced the spirits of former humans when she had only been channeling demonic powers. Still others think she experienced the power of God working through her to produce Samuel, rather than the limited demonic power of her normal rituals. Whatever the case, this is clearly the power of God being used in an unusual way.
Scholars also debate whether this is truly the spirit of Samuel. This would be the only time in the Bible where a spirit of a dead person is brought back through witchcraft. Mediums either deceive their clients or are deceived by demons. Loved ones do not come back to earth as ghosts. There's a reason God strongly forbids necromancy: for our own protection (Leviticus 20:27). Some believe this "Samuel" is a mocking demon, who gives Saul terrifying bad news simply to torment him further. Only the medium personally sees anything (1 Samuel 28:13). As far as Saul and medium are concerned, however, this is the spirit of the prophet.
It's unknown what exactly revealed Saul's identity. Perhaps Samuel said Saul's name when he appeared. The woman feels deceived and may believe that Saul is about to have her killed for breaking his law.
