1 Samuel 28:10Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, "As Yahweh lives, no punishment shall happen to you for this thing."
The setting
Endor, Israel, ~1010 BC. A king who once killed mediums now swears by God's name to protect one as he asks her to break God's law...
The emotion here: desperate and self-deceiving
The original word
nishbaʿ (נִשְׁבַּע) — to swear an oath, literally 'to seven oneself' from the sacred number seven
Why it matters
This is the same Saul who once executed people for the exact practice he's now requesting
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 28:10
Saul swears by Yahweh's name while asking someone to violate Yahweh's direct command
Common misconceptionPeople see this as Saul being merciful, but he's actually using God's name to enable the very sin God commanded him to prevent.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 28:10
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 28:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 28:10 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Saul. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include oath, desperation, irony. Notable phrases: As Yahweh lives. This verse contains a promise of God.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 28:10 mean to you, today?
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