1 Samuel 28:23
New International Version
He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

New Living Translation
But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

English Standard Version
He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.

Berean Standard Bible
Saul refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But his servants joined the woman in urging him, and he heeded their voice. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

King James Bible
But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

New King James Version
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

New American Standard Bible
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

NASB 1995
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

NASB 1977
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

Legacy Standard Bible
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

Amplified Bible
But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants together with the woman urged him, and he [finally] listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

Christian Standard Bible
He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.

American Standard Version
But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he did not want it, and he said: “I will not eat.” And his Servants begged of him, also the woman, and he listened to their voice, and he got up from the ground and sat down on the bed

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But he would not eat; so his servants and the woman constrained him, and he hearkened to their voice, and rose up from the earth, and sat upon a bench.

Contemporary English Version
"No, I won't eat!" But his officers and the woman kept on urging Saul, until he finally agreed. He got up off the floor and sat on the bed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But he refused, and said: I will not eat. But his servants and the woman forced him, and at length hearkening to their voice, he arose from the ground and sat upon the bed.

English Revised Version
But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But he refused. "I don't want to eat," he said. Nevertheless, his officers and the woman kept urging him until he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

Good News Translation
Saul refused and said he would not eat anything. But his officers also urged him to eat. He finally gave in, got up from the ground, and sat on the bed.

International Standard Version
Saul refused, saying, "I won't eat!" Both his servants and the woman urged him, and so he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But he refused, and said: 'I will not eat.' But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

Literal Standard Version
And he refuses and says, “I do not eat”; and his servants urge him on, and also the woman, and he listens to their voice, and rises from the earth, and sits on the bed.

Majority Standard Bible
Saul refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But his servants joined the woman in urging him, and he heeded their voice. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

New American Bible
But he refused, saying, “I will not eat.” However, when his servants joined the woman in urging him, he listened to their entreaties, got up from the ground, and sat on a couch.

NET Bible
But he refused, saying, "I won't eat!" Both his servants and the woman urged him to eat, so he gave in. He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed.

New Revised Standard Version
He refused, and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he listened to their words. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

New Heart English Bible
But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, pressed him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed.

Webster's Bible Translation
But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

World English Bible
But he refused, and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.

Young's Literal Translation
And he refuseth, and saith, 'I do not eat;' and his servants urge on him, and also the woman, and he hearkeneth to their voice, and riseth from the earth, and sitteth on the bed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul and the Medium of Endor
22Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.” 23Saul refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But his servants joined the woman in urging him, and he heeded their voice. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed. 24The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 28:22
Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way."

1 Kings 21:4
So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.

2 Kings 5:13
Naaman's servants, however, approached him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'?"

Esther 1:6
Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.

Ezekiel 23:41
You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil,


Treasury of Scripture

But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed.

I will

1 Kings 21:4
And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

Proverbs 25:20
As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

compelled him

2 Kings 4:8
And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

Luke 14:23
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 24:29
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

Jump to Previous
Bed Compelled Constrained Desire Earth Eat Hearkened Hearkeneth However Joined Refused Refuseth Riseth Sat Seat Servants Sitteth Together Urge Urged Urging Voice Way Words
Jump to Next
Bed Compelled Constrained Desire Earth Eat Hearkened Hearkeneth However Joined Refused Refuseth Riseth Sat Seat Servants Sitteth Together Urge Urged Urging Voice Way Words
1 Samuel 28
1. Achish puts confidence in David
3. Saul having destroyed the witches
4. and now in his fear forsaken of God
7. has recourse to a witch
8. who, encouraged by Saul, raises up Samuel
15. Saul hearing his ruin, faints
21. The woman and his servants refresh him with meat














(23) And sat upon the bed--That is, upon the divan, or cushioned seat, which usually runs round the walls of rooms in Eastern dwellings. There is nothing in the narration to support the common idea, represented so often in painting, that the scene above related took place in a cave. The witch probably lived in a dwelling of her own at En-dor. There is nothing either in the narrative to indicate that she was living in a place of concealment.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Saul refused,
וַיְמָאֵ֗ן (way·mā·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3985: To refuse

saying,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

eat.”
אֹכַ֔ל (’ō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 398: To eat

But his servants
עֲבָדָיו֙ (‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

joined
וְגַם־ (wə·ḡam-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

the woman
הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה (hā·’iš·šāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

in urging
וַיִּפְרְצוּ־ (way·yip̄·rə·ṣū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6555: To break through

him,
ב֤וֹ (ḇōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and he heeded
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע (way·yiš·ma‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

their voice.
לְקֹלָ֑ם (lə·qō·lām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

He got up
וַיָּ֙קָם֙ (way·yā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

from the ground
מֵֽהָאָ֔רֶץ (mê·hā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and sat
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב (way·yê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

on
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the bed.
הַמִּטָּֽה׃ (ham·miṭ·ṭāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4296: A bed, for, sleeping, eating, a sofa, litter, bier


Links
1 Samuel 28:23 NIV
1 Samuel 28:23 NLT
1 Samuel 28:23 ESV
1 Samuel 28:23 NASB
1 Samuel 28:23 KJV

1 Samuel 28:23 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 28:23 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 28:23 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 28:23 French Bible
1 Samuel 28:23 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 28:23 But he refused and said I will (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 28:22
Top of Page
Top of Page