שמואל א, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ט״ז

In a moment of total despair, Saul reaches out to the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel, seeking guidance where none remains. Yet, instead of comfort, he is met with a piercing rebuke that exposes the bitter reality of his severed relationship with God. Samuel questions the very logic of the king's appeal. Since Saul has already admitted that God has turned away from Him, there is no sense in seeking answers from God's prophets [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Moreover, if God has already refused to communicate through the living, it is entirely irrational to expect an answer from the dead [רש״י].

Beneath this logical argument lies a much deeper criticism of Saul's past actions. In his plea, Saul conveniently avoids mentioning his failed attempt to receive guidance through the Urim and Thummim. He omits this detail out of shame for his role in the massacre of the priests of the city of Nov. Samuel calls out this hypocrisy, rebuking him for having the audacity to seek out a prophet now, when he had so violently rejected prophetic guidance in the past [אלשיך, אברבנאל].

Samuel then delivers a devastating summary of Saul's new reality, declaring that God has now become his adversary [רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Commentators offer two distinct ways to understand this tragic shift. One perspective suggests that God Himself has taken on the role of the enemy as a direct result of Saul's sins [אברבנאל]. With the divine spirit gone, an evil, external force has taken its place, leaving the king vulnerable to impurity and spiritual ruin [אלשיך]. The primary approach among commentators, however, is that God has not merely abandoned Saul, but has actively shifted His support to the king's greatest rival, David [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. This transition of divine favor is absolute and interconnected; the exact moment God withdrew from Saul, He transferred His full support, strength, and legitimacy to the reign of David [מלבי״ם].