Why did the woman in 1 Samuel 28:24 prepare a meal for Saul? Canonical Text “Now the woman had a fattened calf at the house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. She set it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. And that night they arose and left.” (1 Samuel 28:24-25) Immediate Literary Context Earlier in the chapter Saul, having disguised himself, asks the medium at En-dor to “Bring up for me the one I name.” (v. 11). After Samuel’s prophetic rebuke and the announcement of Saul’s impending death, “Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words; his strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night.” (v. 20). The woman then urges, “Let me set some food before you so you may eat and have strength to go on your way.” (v. 22). Ancient Near-Eastern Hospitality Norms Across the Late Bronze and Iron Age Levant, hospitality to travelers—especially dignitaries—functioned as a non-negotiable moral code. Ugaritic tablets (KTU 1.114), Egyptian “Instruction of Ankhsheshonqy” 21.5-7, and the Mari letters (ARM 26.132) stress a host’s duty to feed even strangers; how much more a king of Israel. Excavations at En-dor (Tell Abu-el-Qat), though limited, reveal large domestic ovens (tabuns) and animal-bone deposits consistent with household slaughter, mirroring the text’s mention of a ready “fattened calf.” The woman’s actions fit the well-documented cultural script: butcher an animal, bake haste-bread (cf. Genesis 18:6-8; Judges 6:19). Psychological and Pragmatic Motivations 1. Fear of Royal Retribution A medium had already risked her life; Saul had expelled occultists (v. 3). By serving him generously she appeases possible wrath once her guest’s identity is known. 2. Restoration of Strength A fatigued, fasting monarch could collapse on her premises—unthinkable shame and potential political fallout. Nutritional re-energizing (caloric protein from the calf, carbohydrates from unleavened bread) enables Saul to depart swiftly before dawn patrols. 3. Covenant-Like Gesture Shared meals in Scripture often seal alliances (Exodus 24:11; 2 Samuel 3:20). Though no explicit covenant is cut, the meal tacitly formalizes her request for Saul’s oath of protection (v. 21). Ritual and Symbolic Dimensions Unleavened bread parallels urgency (Exodus 12:33-34) and moral purity; the fattened calf evokes sacrificial overtones. Ironically, the king who once led Israel in covenant worship now eats a quasi-sacral meal in a necromancer’s hut—highlighting covenant inversion and foreshadowing divine judgment (28:19). Theological Observations • Human provision cannot reverse divine sentence; the meal sustains Saul’s body but not his soul. • Even illicit practitioners reflect Imago Dei hospitality, underscoring common grace. • The episode anticipates a contrast with Christ, who offers a meal of true covenant redemption (Luke 22:19-20) versus Saul’s last supper of despair. Pastoral Applications Believers must discern between genuine hospitality motivated by love (Romans 12:13) and outward gestures masking spiritual darkness. Physical care is commendable, yet ultimate refuge lies only in obedient fellowship with the living God through Christ’s resurrection (1 Peter 1:3). Summary Answer The woman in 1 Samuel 28:24 prepared a meal for Saul to fulfill ancient hospitality obligations, allay fear of royal retaliation, restore the king’s depleted strength so he could depart safely, and tacitly secure the oath he had just granted her. Her act, though culturally commendable, punctuates Saul’s tragic trajectory away from covenant faithfulness and toward unavoidable judgment pronounced by Samuel. |
    |