And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

1 SAMUEL 28:14KJV
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1 Samuel 28:14 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 28:14 mean?

1 Samuel 28:14 describes Saul asking the medium at Endor what the spirit looks like, and she replies that an old man covered with a mantle is coming up. Saul recognizes this as Samuel and bows down to show respect. The verse shows Saul’s reaction as he believes he is encountering the prophet Samuel’s spirit.

The setting is Saul, Israel’s king, secretly visiting a medium to seek guidance after God has stopped answering him. The woman describes the figure she sees, and Saul interprets these details—the old man and the mantle—as signs that the spirit is Samuel. Saul’s act of bowing shows his recognition and reverence for the prophet, even after Samuel’s death.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 28:14

  • "form" (תֵּאֵר, te'ar): This word refers to appearance or shape. Saul’s question about the "form" shows he is trying to identify the spirit based on visible characteristics, not just the woman’s word.
  • "mantle" (מְעִיל, me'il): This is a specific outer garment often associated with prophets in the Old Testament. The mention of a "mantle" is a key detail that helps Saul identify the spirit as Samuel, since Samuel was known for wearing this garment.
  • "stooped" (קָדַד, qadad) and "bowed" (שָׁחָה, shachah): Both words describe acts of lowering oneself in respect or submission. The use of both terms emphasizes Saul’s deep reverence or desperation in this encounter.

Why 1 Samuel 28:14 matters

  • The verse clarifies how Saul recognizes the spirit as Samuel—not by the woman’s claim, but by the specific description of an old man with a mantle, which matches Samuel’s known appearance.
  • The details highlight Saul’s desperation and the extraordinary lengths he goes to for guidance, even turning to forbidden practices.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing the seriousness of Saul’s situation: he is cut off from God’s guidance and resorts to seeking answers from the dead, which marks a turning point in his story.

Where else these words appear

“form” Hebrew H8389 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 29:17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
  • Deuteronomy 21:11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
  • Esther 2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

“covered” Hebrew H5844 · used in 15 verses

  • Leviticus 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
  • Psalms 104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
  • Isaiah 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

“stooped” Hebrew H6915 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 24:26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.
  • Exodus 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
  • 1 Kings 1:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

“mantle” Hebrew H4598 · used in 27 verses

  • Exodus 28:4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
  • Exodus 39:26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
  • Ezra 9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.