1 Samuel 5:8

5:8 So they assembled ¹  all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

1 Samuel 28:3

28:3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. ²  In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums ³  and magicians ⁴  from the land.

1 Samuel 28:8-9

28:8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing and left, accompanied by two of his men. They came to the woman at night and said, “Use your ritual pit to conjure up for me the one I tell you.” ⁵ 

28:9 But the woman said to him, “Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed ⁶  the mediums and magicians ⁷  from the land! Why are you trapping me ⁸  so you can put me to death?”

[5:8]  ¹ tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”

[28:3]  ² tn Heb “in Ramah, even in his city.”

[28:3]  ³ tn The Hebrew term translated “mediums” actually refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits (see 2 Kgs 21:6). In v. 7 the witch of Endor is called the owner of a ritual pit. See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401. Here the term refers by metonymy to the owner of such a pit (see H. A. Hoffner, TDOT 1:133).

[28:3]  ⁴ sn See Isa 8:19 for another reference to magicians who attempted to conjure up underworld spirits.

[28:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “Use divination for me with the ritual pit and bring up for me the one whom I say to you.”

[28:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “how he has cut off.”

[28:9]  ⁷ tn See the note at v. 3.

[28:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “my life.”