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NASB | 1 Samuel 28:12 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." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Samuel 28:12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed with a loud voice; and she said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" |
Subject: How was Samuel raised from the grave? |
Bible Note: Actually, there has been several explanations suggested for 1 Samuel 28:3-25.. Some believe the witch worked a miracle by demonic powers and actually brought Samuel back from the dead. In support of this view, there are certain passages that seem to indicate that demons have the power to perform lying signs and wonders (Matt. 7:22; 2 Cor. 11:14; 2 Thess. 2:9-10; Rev. 16:14). This view is unlikely, since Scripture also reveals that death is final (Hebrews 9:27), the dead cannot return (2 Samuel 12:23 and Luke 16:24-27), and demons cannot usurp or overpower God's authority over life and death (Job 1:10-12). A second view is that the witch did not really bring up Samuel from the dead, but a demonic spirit simply impersonated the prophet. Those who hold to this view say that certain verses indicate that demons can deceive people who try to contact the dead (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:11; 1 Chr. 10:13). This view is unlikely, because the passage seems to say that Samuel did in fact return from the dead, and that he provided a prophecy that actually came to pass. Further, it is unlikely that demons would have uttered God's truth, since the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). A third view is that God sovereignly and miraculously allowed Samuel's spirit to appear in order to rebuke Saul for his sin. Samuel's spirit did not appear as a result of the woman's powers (since no human has this power), but only because God sovereignly brought it about. The fact that Samuel actually seemed to return from the dead supports this view (1 Sam. 28:14), and this caused the witch to shriek with fear (see verse 12). The witch's cry of astonishment indicates that this appearance of Samuel was not the result of her usual tricks. That God allowed Samuel's spirit to appear on this one occasion should not be taken to mean that witches have any real power to summon the dead. God had a one-time purpose for this one-time special occasion. |