שמואל א, פרק כ״ח, פסוק ט׳

When asked to perform a forbidden act, the woman reacts with immediate terror to her guest's request. She reminds him that King Saul had decreed the death penalty for any mediums and spiritists, forcing anyone who practiced these arts to live under a constant, existential threat [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Gripped by this fear, she directly questions the stranger's motives, demanding to know why he is actively trying to bring about her death.

The commentators explore the exact nature of her accusation against the guest. The primary approach among commentators is that she suspects him of laying a trap and plotting to cause her harm [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. In her eyes, his request is a calculated scheme designed to expose her actions, ultimately leading to her execution at the hands of King Saul [מצודת דוד]. A slightly different perspective suggests that her accusation is about the transfer of danger. According to this view, she believes the stranger is trying to remove a snare from himself, shifting his own trouble and the resulting punishment directly onto her [מצודת ציון].