“For what sawest thou?”
The full verse · 1 Samuel 28:13 · KJV
And the unto her, Be not : for what thou? And the unto , I out of the .
Asked by
Asked to
The woman at Endor who practiced necromancy, whom Saul consulted in violation of his own earlier decree banishing mediums from Israel.
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionSaul asks to gather information about what the medium perceives in the spiritual realm that he cannot see himself. By framing this as a question rather than waiting for her to volunteer information, he maintains control of the séance and presses for immediate disclosure of what supernatural presence has appeared.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe medium described seeing a god or divine being ascending from the earth, then further identified the figure as an old man wrapped in a robe, whom Saul understood to be Samuel (1 Samuel 28:13-14).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storySaul’s question “What do you see?” reveals his complete exclusion from spiritual perception. He must ask because he cannot perceive what is happening in the supernatural realm, a tragic reversal for one who once received the Spirit of God. The Hebrew construction uses the simple interrogative mah combined with the perfect form of ra’ah, asking about completed seeing, indicating the medium has already perceived something that terrifies her. Saul frames this as a question rather than a command to maintain the illusion of a normal consultation, though his disguise has already been penetrated. The question carries profound theological weight as the final recorded words of a king cut off from divine communication, now reduced to asking a condemned practitioner what spiritual realities she can access that he cannot.
When God seems silent, the temptation to seek answers through forbidden channels grows intense. Saul’s question models desperation, asking a practitioner of darkness what she sees because he can no longer perceive God’s presence. This warns us that spiritual dryness often precedes spiritual compromise. When prayer feels unanswered, we must resist turning to horoscopes, mediums, or any practice Scripture condemns, remembering that God’s silence may itself be His answer (Isaiah 59:1-2). The faithful response to divine silence is patient waiting and repentance, not consulting darkness. James 4:8 promises, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you,” offering hope that genuine seeking will never leave us abandoned to spiritual charlatans.
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