The Meaning of 1 Samuel 28:23 Explained

1 Samuel 28:23

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: But he refused and said, I will not eat. Then his servants, and the woman also, compelled him, and he hearkened to their voice; and he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 28:23 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 28:15-25 - Listening To His Own Doom
That there should be an apparition of Samuel occasions no difficulty, for as Moses and Elijah were permitted to speak with our Lord of the "decease" to be accomplished at Jerusalem, so God may have specially permitted the prophet to speak with Saul. We may believe that these sentences passed between them, without any aid on the part of the medium. From the lips of the prophet came no words of comfort nor hope. Nothing could avert the descending avalanche of destruction. As Saul had sown, so must he reap; as he had fallen, so must he lie.
While the king sat on that divan, what memories must have passed through his mind! The first happy days of his reign, Jabesh-gilead, the loyalty of his people. Then he saw how, step by step, that cursed jealousy of David had dragged him down into the turbid current that was now bearing him to a suicide's end. It is one of the most pitiful spectacles in history. But let us be warned; let us watch and pray; let us guard against the first tiny rift within the lute of life! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 28:23 mean?

But he refused and said not I will eat So urged him his servants and together with the woman and he heeded their voice And he arose from the ground and sat on the bed
וַיְמָאֵ֗ן וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֹכַ֔ל וַיִּפְרְצוּ־ ב֤וֹ עֲבָדָיו֙ וְגַם־ הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע לְקֹלָ֑ם וַיָּ֙קָם֙ מֵֽהָאָ֔רֶץ וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב אֶל־ הַמִּטָּֽה

וַיְמָאֵ֗ן  But  he  refused 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָאַן  
Sense: (Piel) to refuse.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֹכַ֔ל  I  will  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וַיִּפְרְצוּ־  So  urged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּרַץ  
Sense: to break through or down or over, burst, breach.
עֲבָדָיו֙  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְגַם־  and  together  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע  and  he  heeded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לְקֹלָ֑ם  their  voice 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וַיָּ֙קָם֙  And  he  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
מֵֽהָאָ֔רֶץ  from  the  ground 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב  and  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הַמִּטָּֽה  the  bed 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִטָּה  
Sense: couch, bed, bier.