1 Samuel 28:5 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 28:5 mean?

1 Samuel 28:5 describes King Saul’s reaction when he sees the Philistine army gathered against Israel. The sight fills him with fear, showing the strain he feels as Israel’s king facing an enemy force.

The narrator describes Saul’s fear as a trembling heart. For the first audience, the heart could refer to a person’s inner life, including thoughts and emotions. The phrase gives a picture of fear reaching deep inside Saul.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 28:5

• “heart” — לֵב (lev): This word can refer to the inner person, including the mind and emotions. Here it locates Saul’s trembling within him, rather than simply describing a visible bodily reaction.
• “trembled” — חָרַד (charad): This word carries the sense of shaking or being alarmed. Together with “greatly,” it makes the intensity of Saul’s reaction clear.

Why 1 Samuel 28:5 matters

• Saul’s fear leads into his search for an answer. In the next verse, he asks the Lord for guidance, but receives no answer.
• The verse helps explain Saul’s later decision to seek out a woman who could consult the dead. In verse 7, he tells his servants to find such a woman, despite his earlier removal of such people from the land.
• Saul is not reacting to a distant report. The verse says he “saw” the Philistine army, placing his response at the moment he faces the threat before him.