7. When King Saul consulted the witch of Endor, what request did he make of her? 1 Samuel 28:11.
NOTE: ‘The wonders wrought on this occasion were all accomplished by the familiar spirit with whom this woman consorted. There were two things for this spirit to do: (1) Either to bring up in reality the dead person that was called for, or (2) to counterfeit the dead man so perfectly that those who were conversing with the familiar spirit would believe that they were conversing with their dead friend. That it was not Samuel, but the familiar spirit personating Samuel, that appeared is evident from the fact that this supposed Samuel, before holding any communication with Saul, put the woman on her guard, telling her that her guest was none other than Saul himself. This is shown by the fact that the woman, as soon as she saw him, cried out with fear, not because Samuel really appeared contrary to her expectations, as some have supposed; for she did not cry out, “Samuel has come, indeed!” but because of what the appearance told her; for she immediately turned to Saul, and said, “Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.” This would not be the work of the real Samuel, to put the woman on her guard, to aid her in her unholy work of incantation.’ Uriah Smith: Man’s Nature and Destiny, page 118.
8. When an apparition appeared, who decided that it was Samuel? 1 Samuel 28:14.
NOTE: ‘Saul did not see Samuel at all. But does it not read that “Saul perceived that it was Samuel?” Yes; but perceived how? Not by the sight of the eyes, but from the woman’s description. The words “saw,” as applied to the woman, verse 12, and “perceived,” as applied to Saul, verse 14, are from two words in the Hebrew. The first is “raah”, which signifies “to look, see, view;” the second is from “yada” which means “to become informed, to be made aware of.” The Septuagint maintains the same distinction. The woman actually saw the appearance before her; and here the word “eido” is used, which signifies, according to Liddell and Scott, “to see, behold, look at;” but when it is said that Saul “perceived,” the word is “gignosko”, which signifies, according to the same authority, “to know, perceive, gain knowledge of, observe, mark, be aware of, see into, understand,” by an operation of the mind. In harmony with this view, is Saul’s language to the woman, “What sawest thou?” and “What form is he of?” If any should say that Saul might have seen all that the woman saw if he had not been prostrate upon the ground, it is sufficient to reply that it was not till after he asked these questions that he “stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.” Verse 14. If Samuel had actually been present, Saul could have seen him as well as the woman. How completely had Saul now fallen into the snare! He was willing this abandoned woman should be for him both eyes and ears in matters of the greatest moment.’ Uriah Smith: Man’s Nature and Destiny, page 119.