King Saul’s reign appears to have been erratic, as the last several chapters convey. On the one hand he contributed much in securing his brethren’s national safety. After all, that is a king’s main job. On the other hand, on occasion, the king displayed dereliction of duty, something about which the seer Samuel berated Saul.
”And Samuel said to Saul: Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up?”
What precisely precipitated King Saul’s demise, Abravanel asks? What sins cost him his life and the loss of his kingship? Classic Bible commentators weigh in on this very question and, not surprisingly, come up with various interpretations for Saul’s misdoings. Let us share Abravanel’s understanding of the key verses here in Samuel 28 for clues. All tallied, he counts three sins.
“Because you did not hearken to the voice of the LORD” refers to Gilgal. (I Samuel 10). Recall, Samuel bid Saul to wait for him in Gilgal. But, he didn’t. Instead, Saul offered a lame excuse why he disobeyed God. This can be designated as STRIKE ONE. For it, God decreed to end or sever Saul’s kingship.
The Torah establishes and Samuel reiterated a commandment to wage an all-out war against the Amalekites, the Hebrews’ invariable nemesis. By sparing Agag, the Amalekite king, Saul stopped short. Moreover, Saul kept Amalekite livestock. “And did not execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek.” STRIKE TWO. Consequently, the Creator cut Saul’s longevity. Another punishment for this offense related to David. That is, Saul would hear that a man from outside his family would be anointed king during Saul’s lifetime. Of course, this was a devastating blow.
Finally, Saul’s third sin was the wholesale murder of Nob’s priestly population. For this wanton killing spree, the Creator pledged that Saul and three of his sons would die by the sword – at the hands of the Philistines. The Bible makes clear: he who kills shall be killed. (Genesis 9). Had King Saul not wiped-out Nob, God would not have decreed death by enemy sword. Rather, He would have taken Saul’s life by different, natural means. Moreover, had Saul not killed out Nob, the Creator would not have arranged things whereby Saul would eyewitness his sons’ deaths in battle – a nightmare dictated by Above.
As for Abravanel’s source, here it is: “And Samuel said: Wherefore then do you ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from you, and is become your adversary?” Specifically, it alludes to Saul’s egregious crime of killing innocent priests in Nob. Note how that verse restates the prior one where Saul bemoans to Samuel that God “answers me no more, neither by prophets…” Samuel’s response, as stated, was “And Samuel said: Wherefore then do you ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from you, and is become your adversary?” Samuel states plainly the reason behind God’s “silent treatment” to Saul. It is attributable to priestly blood on Saul’s hands. Had Saul not killed the priests, they could have conveyed the future to Saul, via the Urim and Thummim – the priestly accoutrement resting atop the breastplate. In this way, Abravanel lays out King Saul’s three wrongdoings. He incurred God’s wrath inflicting lethal consequence for him and his family.
Abravanel notes that the witch abruptly aborted the séance with Samuel and Saul. She did this by recalling the ghost’s intrusion into the prophet’s corpse. Samuel 28 concludes with verses describing how the witch insisted that Saul eat food, which he and his attendants did – most reluctantly. The king clearly was sapped of all physical strength from prolonged fasting. “And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.”
As stated, Saul learned that his and his sons’ fate was sealed from Above. On the morrow, Saul would lead his troops to disastrous defeat, and death. Undeterred, King Saul will stoically face his Philistine enemies with steely aplomb, unfazed. Abravanel concludes his remarks about Saul here with unabashed praise, writing how the king will ride to the war front fully aware and emotionally prepared: his would be a death fit for that most noble cadre of selfless, gallant, and chivalrous soldiers of old.