שמואל א, פרק כ״ח, פסוק י״ג

In a moment of high tension, the king must calm the terrified medium who has just discovered his true identity. He assures her that no harm will come to her, despite his royal authority [מצודת דוד]. With her safety guaranteed, he urgently asks her to describe the vision taking shape before her eyes, needing to verify that the figure rising is truly Samuel [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The woman responds by describing the sight of a godlike being. The primary approach among commentators is that she does not mean an actual deity, but rather a person of great importance, majesty, and high rank [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. However, others suggest the vision is of a purely spiritual, divine figure, sharply contrasting with the ordinary spirits of the dead she is accustomed to summoning [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective views the figure she sees as an angel of God [רד״ק, אברבנאל].

Her description uses plural phrasing to portray the being rising from the earth, which is surprising since the king only asked for one person. The straightforward explanation is simply a matter of language and respect. Because the term used to describe a great leader is often plural in form to convey honor and mastery, the action associated with it is also spoken in the plural, even though only one person is actually rising [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].

Conversely, a tradition based on the sages suggests that the woman literally sees two figures rising together. According to this view, Moses accompanies Samuel. Commentators offer several reasons for this unexpected appearance. One explanation is that Samuel is terrified by the sudden summoning, fearing he is being called to face heavenly judgment, and brings Moses along for support [רש״י, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, Samuel brings Moses so the two great leaders can stand united to beg for mercy on behalf of the Israelites [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. A deeper approach ties this to the very nature of prophecy. Since all prophets draw their spiritual strength from Moses, the rise of Samuel's spirit inherently brings up the spiritual power of Moses with it, which manifests to the woman's eyes as a tangible vision of two figures ascending together [מלבי״ם].