שמואל א, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ח׳

The king of Israel, having previously banished all mediums and spiritualists from his land, finds himself in a crisis so deep that he is forced to seek their help. To carry out this forbidden act, he must operate in complete secrecy and hide his identity. The primary approach among commentators is that he removed his royal robes and put on simple clothes so the woman would not recognize him. He felt uneasy approaching her after his harsh persecution of her kind, knowing that if she realized who he was, she would be too terrified to assist him [רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A contrasting Midrashic interpretation suggests a deeper meaning to his disguise. By turning to these dark practices, he effectively stripped himself of his royal authority, making himself free and detached from the kingship [אברבנאל].

Traveling with only two companions was part of his deception to appear as a commoner, since a monarch would never travel without a full royal guard [מלבי״ם]. The identity of these companions is a matter of debate. One tradition identifies them as his senior officers, Abner and Amasa [רד״ק]. Others reject this idea, arguing that it makes no sense for a king to abandon his military camp while taking his top commander with him [אברבנאל]. The small group made their journey in the dark. Arriving at night prevented the army camp from noticing the king's absence and kept the woman from recognizing his face, as a king does not wander about in the dark [מלבי״ם, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. However, a widespread Midrashic view proposes that the event actually took place during the day. The sheer terror and distress of the king and his men simply made the world feel as dark as night [רש״י, רד״ק]. This perspective also resolves a practical problem, as magical practices were understood to be ineffective at night, meaning the visit had to occur during daylight hours [חומת אנך].

Upon arriving, the king asks the woman to perform a secret magical act, specifically requesting the practice of consulting the dead [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. This ritual involves raising the deceased from their graves to ask them about the future [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. The process relies heavily on awakening the imagination. The medium performs actions that allow her to see the image of the dead, though she cannot hear him. The person asking the questions sees nothing, but his imagination leads him to hear a low voice answering his inquiries [רלב״ג].

Deliberately, the king does not immediately reveal the identity of the person he wishes to summon. If he had instantly asked to bring up the great prophet Samuel, the woman would have known right away that her client was no ordinary man. A simple commoner would never dare to disturb a prophet of such magnitude [מלבי״ם].