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* Footnotes
- A.M. 2949, A.C. 1055.
*H And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered together their armies, to be prepared for war against Israel: And Achis said to David: Know thou now assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to the war, thou, and thy men.
Ver. 1. Israel. God made use of the ill-will of the Philistines to punish Saul, and to make way for David to the throne. Salien. — Each of the five lords brought their armies into the field, where they were united. Achis, placing the greatest confidence in David, requires his attendance. C.
*H And David said to Achis: Now thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Achis said to David: And I will appoint thee to guard my life for ever.
Ver. 2. Do; or "can do." Thou wilt be convinced of my valour and fidelity. H. — But could David lawfully fight against his brethren? or could he desert Achis in the heat of the engagement? His answer is ambiguous. C. — He prudently committed his cause into the hands of Providence, resolved to do nothing contrary to his duty, and to abide by God's decision, in this critical juncture, so that Cajetan blames him unjustly. Salien. M. T. — Guard. Sept. "captain of my body guard."
*H Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel mourned for him, and buried him in Ramatha, his city. And Saul had put away all the magicians and soothsayers out of the land.
Ver. 3. Samuel. His death is here recorded, as well as the abolition of magic, to explain what follows, when Saul, not being able to obtain an answer from God, as his prophet had been withdrawn in anger, had recourse to the devil. H. — Land, while he reigned virtuously, (M.) according to the law. Lev. xix 31. Deut. xviii. 11.
*H And the Philistines were gathered together, and came and encamped in Sunam: and Saul also gathered together all Israel, and came to Gelboe.
Ver. 4. Gelboe. So that he occupied the parts south of the vale of Jezrahel, while the Philistines were encamped on the north, in the tribe of Issachar. M.
*H And Saul saw the army of the Philistines, and was afraid, and his heart was very much dismayed.
Ver. 5. Dismayed. It was so numerous, while his own conscience upbraided him with being at enmity with God, who increased his fears. Salien.
*H And he consulted the Lord, and he answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by priests, nor by prophets.
Ver. 6. Dreams. During which God often revealed his will. See Deut. xiii. 3. — Priests. Heb. "nor by Urim." It seems Saul had appointed some priests, and had fabricated a fresh ephod, with the Urim, &c. after the departure of Abiathar. C. — But Salien calls this in question, and there might neither be priests nor prophets for Saul to consult. H. — God despised a man, who had slain so many of his sacred ministers. M.
* Footnotes
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Leviticus
20:27
A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die. They shall stone them. Their blood be upon them.
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Deuteronomy
18:11
Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.
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Acts
16:16
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl having a pythonical spirit met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.
*H And Saul said to his servants: Seek me a woman that hath a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and enquire by her. And his servants said to him: There is a woman that hath a divining spirit at Endor.
Ver. 7. Spirit. Heb. "an ob," or vessel distended, as such impostors seemed to swell at the presence of the spirit. Sept. "a belly talker." They endeavour to speak from that part. We read of some who, without magic, have possessed the art in great perfection, so as to deceive the company, and make them think that some one was calling them from a great distance; as was the case with one Farming in England, 1645. Dickenson, c. 9. — Brodeus mentions that the valet of Francis I. could thus counterfeit the speech of people deceased, and by these means prevailed upon a rich young woman to marry him, and a banker of Lyons to give him a large sum of money. James Rodoginus, a possessed person in Italy, 1513, could make articulate sounds from the hollow of his belly, when his lips and nostrils were closed up. The oracles of idols were generally given in a low tone, as if they proceeded from the earth. Submissi petimus terram & vox fertur ad aures. Virg. — Those of Apollo were the most famous, and hence a divining spirit is called a Python. Saul must have been stupidly blind, thus to depend on what he had formerly banished with such care. C. — He flattered himself that some would still be left, especially among the women, who are most addicted to superstition, as well as to religion. M. — Endor was distant from Gelboe about four hours' walk. Adrichomius. — But Saul made a long circuit to avoid the enemy. Salien, v. 20.
*H Then he disguised himself: and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, and he said to her: Divine to me by thy divining spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall tell thee.
Ver. 8. Clothes, that he might not fill the woman or his army with dismay. C.
* Summa
*S Part 3, Ques 95, Article 4
[II-II, Q. 95, Art. 4]
Whether Divination Practiced by Invoking the Demons Is Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that divination practiced by invoking the demons is not unlawful. Christ did nothing unlawful, according to 1 Pet. 2:22, "Who did no sin." Yet our Lord asked the demon: "What is thy name?" and the latter replied: "My name is Legion, for we are many" (Mk. 5:9). Therefore it seems lawful to question the demons about the occult.
Obj. 2: Further, the souls of the saints do not encourage those who ask unlawfully. Yet Samuel appeared to Saul when the latter inquired of the woman that had a divining spirit, concerning the issue of the coming war (1 Kings 28:8, sqq.). Therefore the divination that consists in questioning demons is not unlawful.
Obj. 3: Further, it seems lawful to seek the truth from one who knows, if it be useful to know it. But it is sometimes useful to know what is hidden from us, and can be known through the demons, as in the discovery of thefts. Therefore divination by questioning demons is not unlawful.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Deut. 18:10, 11): "Neither let there there be found among you . . . anyone that consulteth soothsayers . . . nor . . . that consulteth pythonic spirits."
_I answer that,_ All divination by invoking demons is unlawful for two reasons. The first is gathered from the principle of divination, which is a compact made expressly with a demon by the very fact of invoking him. This is altogether unlawful; wherefore it is written against certain persons (Isa. 28:15): "You have said: We have entered into a league with death, and we have made a covenant with hell." And still more grievous would it be if sacrifice were offered or reverence paid to the demon invoked. The second reason is gathered from the result. For the demon who intends man's perdition endeavors, by his answers, even though he sometimes tells the truth, to accustom men to believe him, and so to lead him on to something prejudicial to the salvation of mankind. Hence Athanasius, commenting on the words of Luke 4:35, "He rebuked him, saying: Hold thy peace," says: "Although the demon confessed the truth, Christ put a stop to his speech, lest together with the truth he should publish his wickedness and accustom us to care little for such things, however much he may seem to speak the truth. For it is wicked, while we have the divine Scriptures, to seek knowledge from the demons."
Reply Obj. 1: According to Bede's commentary on Luke 8:30, "Our Lord inquired, not through ignorance, but in order that the disease, which he tolerated, being made public, the power of the Healer might shine forth more graciously." Now it is one thing to question a demon who comes to us of his own accord (and it is lawful to do so at times for the good of others, especially when he can be compelled, by the power of God, to tell the truth) and another to invoke a demon in order to gain from him knowledge of things hidden from us.
Reply Obj. 2: According to Augustine (Ad Simplic. ii, 3), "there is nothing absurd in believing that the spirit of the just man, being about to smite the king with the divine sentence, was permitted to appear to him, not by the sway of magic art or power, but by some occult dispensation of which neither the witch nor Saul was aware. Or else the spirit of Samuel was not in reality aroused from his rest, but some phantom or mock apparition formed by the machinations of the devil, and styled by Scripture under the name of Samuel, just as the images of things are wont to be called by the names of those things."
Reply Obj. 3: No temporal utility can compare with the harm to spiritual health that results from the research of the unknown by invoking the demon. _______________________
FIFTH
*H And Saul swore unto her by the Lord, saying: As the Lord liveth, there shall no evil happen to thee for this thing.
Ver. 10. Thing. He adds this crime of swearing unjustly, to all the rest. Saline.
*H And the woman said to him: Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
Ver. 11. Samuel. Here we behold the antiquity of necromancy, which is a proof that people believed the soul's immortality; animas responsa daturas. Horace i. sat. 8. C. — Protestants sometimes deny (H.) that souls appear again, contrary to this history and Mat. xvii. S. Aug. W.
* Summa
*S Part 1, Ques 89, Article 8
[I, Q. 89, Art. 8]
Whether Separated Souls Know What Takes Place on Earth?
Objection 1: It would seem that separated souls know what takes place on earth; for otherwise they would have no care for it, as they have, according to what Dives said (Luke 16:27, 28), "I have five brethren . . . he may testify unto them, lest they also come into the place of torments." Therefore separated souls know what passes on earth.
Obj. 2: Further, the dead often appear to the living, asleep or awake, and tell them of what takes place there; as Samuel appeared to Saul (1 Kings 28:11). But this could not be unless they knew what takes place here. Therefore they know what takes place on earth.
Obj. 3: Further, separated souls know what happens among themselves. If, therefore, they do not know what takes place among us, it must be by reason of local distance; which has been shown to be false (A. 7).
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Job 14:21): "He will not understand whether his children come to honor or dishonor."
_I answer that,_ By natural knowledge, of which we are treating now, the souls of the dead do not know what passes on earth. This follows from what has been laid down (A. 4), since the separated soul has knowledge of singulars, by being in a way determined to them, either by some vestige of previous knowledge or affection, or by the Divine order. Now the souls departed are in a state of separation from the living, both by Divine order and by their mode of existence, whilst they are joined to the world of incorporeal spiritual substances; and hence they are ignorant of what goes on among us. Whereof Gregory gives the reason thus: "The dead do not know how the living act, for the life of the spirit is far from the life of the flesh; and so, as corporeal things differ from incorporeal in genus, so they are distinct in knowledge" (Moral. xii). Augustine seems to say the same (De Cura pro Mort. xiii), when he asserts that, "the souls of the dead have no concern in the affairs of the living."
Gregory and Augustine, however, seem to be divided in opinion as regards the souls of the blessed in heaven, for Gregory continues the passage above quoted: "The case of the holy souls is different, for since they see the light of Almighty God, we cannot believe that external things are unknown to them." But Augustine (De Cura pro Mort. xiii) expressly says: "The dead, even the saints do not know what is done by the living or by their own children," as a gloss quotes on the text, "Abraham hath not known us" (Isa. 63:16). He confirms this opinion by saying that he was not visited, nor consoled in sorrow by his mother, as when she was alive; and he could not think it possible that she was less kind when in a happier state; and again by the fact that the Lord promised to king Josias that he should die, lest he should see his people's afflictions (4 Kings 22:20). Yet Augustine says this in doubt; and premises, "Let every one take, as he pleases, what I say." Gregory, on the other hand, is positive, since he says, "We cannot believe." His opinion, indeed, seems to be the more probable one--that the souls of the blessed who see God do know all that passes here. For they are equal to the angels, of whom Augustine says that they know what happens among those living on earth. But as the souls of the blessed are most perfectly united to Divine justice, they do not suffer from sorrow, nor do they interfere in mundane affairs, except in accordance with Divine justice.
Reply Obj. 1: The souls of the departed may care for the living, even if ignorant of their state; just as we care for the dead by pouring forth prayer on their behalf, though we are ignorant of their state. Moreover, the affairs of the living can be made known to them not immediately, but the souls who pass hence thither, or by angels and demons, or even by "the revelation of the Holy Ghost," as Augustine says in the same book.
Reply Obj. 2: That the dead appear to the living in any way whatever is either by the special dispensation of God; in order that the souls of the dead may interfere in affairs of the living--and this is to be accounted as miraculous. Or else such apparitions occur through the instrumentality of bad or good angels, without the knowledge of the departed; as may likewise happen when the living appear, without their own knowledge, to others living, as Augustine says in the same book. And so it may be said of Samuel that he appeared through Divine revelation; according to Ecclus. 46:23, "he slept, and told the king the end of his life." Or, again, this apparition was procured by the demons; unless, indeed, the authority of Ecclesiasticus be set aside through not being received by the Jews as canonical Scripture.
Reply Obj. 3: This kind of ignorance does not proceed from the obstacle of local distance, but from the cause mentioned above. _______________________
*H And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and said to Saul: Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
Ver. 12. Woman. The Rabbins pretend that she was Abner's mother, (C.) which is extremely improbable, as he was of the tribe of Benjamin, and a man of such renown. Salien. — Theodoret follows their opinion, in supposing that the woman was startled, because Samuel appeared in a standing posture, and not with his feet upwards, or lying down on his back, as in a coffin, which they say (C.) is the usual manner of spirits appearing to people of her character. Bellarm. Purgat. ii. 6. — She cried out, because he appeared before she had begun her incantations, and was arrayed like a priest, according to Josephus, (H.) in great majesty, or she pretended to see him, the better to impose upon the king; for some think that all was a delusion. C. — Saul. This she learnt either from Samuel, (Josephus) or from her familiar spirit. M.
*H And the king said to her: Fear not: what hast thou seen? and the woman said to Saul: I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
Ver. 13. Gods, or one venerable and divine personage. W. — Elohim, is applied to Samuel for greater honour. It is a title given to the true God, to idols, and people in dignity. C.
*H And he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.
Ver. 14. Understood that it was Samuel. It is the more common opinion of the holy fathers, and interpreters, that the soul of Samuel appeared indeed; and not, as some have imagined, an evil spirit in his shape. Not that the power of her magic could bring him thither, but that God was pleased for the punishment of Saul, that Samuel himself should denounce unto him the evils that were falling upon him. See Ecclesiasticus xlvi. 23. Ch. — The passage is decisive; (T.) he slept and he made known to the king, and shewed him the end of his life, and he lifted up his voice from the earth, in prophecy, &c. Those who have called in question the reality of Samuel's apparition, seem not to have remembered this passage. H. — Yet his soul was not united to his body, (Salien) nor was he adduced by the power of the devil, but (D.) by a just judgment of God, to denounce destruction to the wicked king. S. Aug. &c. T. — The woman, beholding Samuel, fled out of the place, to Saul's companions, and left him alone with the king, v. 21. — Adored Samuel with an inferior honour, as the friend of God, exalted in glory. Salien. — That Samuel really appeared, is the more common opinion of the fathers. S. Aug. Cura. xv. W.
*H And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou disturbed my rest, that I should be brought up? And Saul said: I am in great distress: for the Philistines fight against me, and God is departed from me, and would not hear me, neither by the hand of prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayst shew me what I shall do.
Ver. 15. Up. To inform a person of something very terrible, is distressing; and though the saints deceased cannot partake in the afflictions of mortals, yet we read that "the angels of peace will weep, but they will approve of the just sentence of the judge" against the reprobate. H. — The Scripture language conforms itself to the opinions of the people, who thought that such avocations disturbed the soul's repose. Hence the fathers at Elvira (C. xxxi.) forbid "the lighting of wax candles in church-yards during the day, for the spirits of the saints are not to be disquieted." Isaias (xiv. 9,) represents hell all in commotion, at the approach of the king of Babylon. These expressions are figurative. C. — God does not encourage magical arts, on this occasion, but rather prevents their operation, as he did, when Balaam would have used some superstitious practices. Num. xxiv. D.
*H And Samuel said: Why askest thou me, seeing the Lord has departed from thee, and is gone over to thy rival?
Ver. 16. Rival. How vain is it to expect that a prophet can give an answer, when the Lord is silent! Heb. "is become thy enemy." H.
*H For the Lord will do to thee as he spoke by me, and he will rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and will give it to thy neighbour David:
Ver. 17. To thee. Heb. "to him." This was only a repetition of what Samuel had before denounced. C. xv. 28. If the evil spirit spoke this, he was not guilty of falsehood, no more than Mat. viii. 29. C. — But would he dare so often to repeat the name of the Lord? H. — Could he know what would happen to Saul, &c. the next day? W.
*H And the Lord also will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines: and to morrow thou and thy sons shall be with me: and the Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
Ver. 19. To-morrow. Usher supposes some days afterwards. But all might take place the day after this was spoken. C. — Sons, except Isboseth, who enjoyed, for a time, part of his father's kingdom. H. — With me. That is, in the state of the dead, and in another world, though not in the same place. Ch. — Saul was guilty of suicide, so that he could not be with Samuel in happiness, (C. xxxi. 4. T.) though he was in the other world. W. — See S. Aug. ad Simp. ii. 3. Cura pro mort. c. xv. S. Justin. Dial. Origen, &c.
*H And forthwith Saul fell all along on the ground; for he was frightened with the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day.
Ver. 20. Day, through excessive anguish. H. — He fainted away; upon which his attendants and the woman rushed in. Salien.
*H And the woman came to Saul, (for he was very much troubled) and said to him: Behold thy handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand: and I hearkened unto the words which thou spokest to me.
Ver. 21. Hand, in the most imminent danger. See Judg. xii. 3.
*H Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she made haste and killed it: and taking meal, kneaded it, and baked some unleavened bread,
Ver. 24. Calf, destined for a victim or feast. Luke xv. 23. Prov. xv. 17. C. — The generosity of this woman deserves commendation. Josep. vi. 15. H.