1 Samuel 28:17Yahweh has done to you as he spoke by me. Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David.
The setting
En-dor, Israel, ~1010 BC. Samuel's ghost delivers Saul's death sentence, confirming David as the rightful king...
The emotion here: sorrowful certainty delivering inevitable judgment
The original word
קָרַע (qara) — to tear, rip apart violently, like tearing fabric that cannot be mended
Why it matters
This prophecy would be fulfilled within 24 hours when Saul died on Mount Gilboa
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 28:17
The word 'neighbor' (רֵעַ) is the same word used when Samuel tore Saul's robe years earlier
Common misconceptionPeople think this is harsh, but Samuel is simply confirming what God prophesied years earlier through Samuel himself — this is faithfulness to previous warnings, not sudden cruelty.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 28:17
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 28:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 28:17 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Samuel. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, kingdom transfer. Notable phrases: Yahweh has torn the kingdom. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 28:17 mean to you, today?
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