1 Samuel 2:31

2:31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength 1  and the strength 2  of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house!

1 Samuel 9:11

9:11 As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?”

1 Samuel 9:14

9:14 So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction 3  to go up to the high place.

1 Samuel 10:10

10:10 When Saul and his servant 4  arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul 5  and he prophesied among them.

1 Samuel 17:23

17:23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, 6  and David heard it.

1 Samuel 28:13-14

28:13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! What have you seen?” The woman replied to Saul, “I have seen one like a god 7  coming up from the ground!” 28:14 He said to her, “What about his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!”

Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down.

1 tn Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.

2 tn Heb “arm.”

3 tn Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.

4 tc Two medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta have the singular “he” (in which case the referent would be Saul alone).

tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

5 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

6 tn Heb “according to these words.”

7 tn Heb “gods.” The modifying participle (translated “coming up”) is plural, suggesting that underworld spirits are the referent. But in the following verse Saul understands the plural word to refer to a singular being. The reference is to the spirit of Samuel.