1 Samuel 28:10
“Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, “As Yahweh lives, no punishment will happen to you for this thing.””
What does 1 Samuel 28:10 mean?
Saul is desperate and afraid, so he makes a solemn oath to a woman who practices divination (something his own laws forbade) that she won't face consequences if she helps him contact the prophet Samuel who has died. He's swearing by God's own name, trying to convince her it's safe to break the law he himself established. This moment shows how fear and desperation can drive us to compromise our own values and make promises we shouldn't make, especially when we're trying to control outcomes that feel unbearable.