Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

1 SAMUEL 28:16KJV
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1 Samuel 28:16 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 28:16 mean?

1 Samuel 28:16 records Samuel telling Saul that there is no point in asking him for help, because the LORD has left Saul and now stands against him as an enemy. Samuel makes it clear that Saul’s situation is hopeless because God Himself has turned away from him.

In this scene, Samuel is speaking to Saul through a medium after his death. Saul, desperate for guidance as he faces the Philistines, seeks out Samuel’s spirit. Samuel’s response is blunt: since the LORD (God) has departed from Saul, there is nothing Samuel can do, and Saul is now opposed by God rather than helped by Him.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 28:16

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, often translated as “the LORD.” The use of this name here stresses that it is not just any god or power, but Israel’s own covenant God who has departed from Saul.
  • departed (סוּר, sur): This word means to turn aside or remove. It emphasizes that God’s withdrawal from Saul is active and deliberate, not just a passive absence.
  • enemy (עָרִיב, ariv): This word means adversary or one who opposes. Samuel’s use of this term underlines the seriousness of Saul’s situation: God is not just distant, but now stands in opposition to Saul.

Why 1 Samuel 28:16 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Saul’s problem is not just a lack of guidance, but that he is now opposed by God Himself, which is the ultimate reason for his downfall.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of rejecting God’s instructions; Saul’s repeated disobedience has led to a point where even seeking supernatural help cannot change his fate.
  • In the wider story, this moment marks the final break between Saul and God, setting the stage for David’s rise and Saul’s tragic end.

Where else these words appear

“enemy” Hebrew H6145 · used in 6 verses

  • Psalms 9:6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
  • Psalms 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
  • Micah 5:11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

“Samuel” Hebrew H8050 · used in 120 verses

  • Numbers 34:20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
  • 1 Samuel 9:15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
  • 1 Samuel 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.