The Spirit’s narrative voice saw Samuel—not a pretended demon
These things the one who does not want to accept the contest will say—that it is not really Samuel who was brought up. But since one must be fair-minded in hearing the Scriptures, and the argument has plausibly buzzed around us and can truly disturb and move us, let us see whether the Scripture has been understood by the one who does not accept this, or whether he argues from reputable points yet says things contrary to what is written.
For what things are written? “And the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’” Whose person is it that says, “the woman said”? Is it the person of the Holy Spirit, from whom the Scripture is believed to have been written, or of someone else? For the narrative person everywhere—as even those practiced in all sorts of discourses know—is the person of the writer; and the writer for these words is believed to be not a human being, but the Holy Spirit who moved human beings as writer. Therefore the Holy Spirit says: “And the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ And he said, ‘Samuel for me.’ Who says: ‘And the woman saw Samuel, and the woman cried out with a great voice, saying…’?”
We will say to that one who has so buzzed against us and said countless things as though Samuel were not in Hades: “The woman saw Samuel”—the narrative voice said this—“and the woman cried out with a great voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? And you are Saul.’ And the king said to her, ‘What is it? Do not fear; what have you seen?’ And the woman said to Saul, ‘I have seen gods coming up from the earth.’ And he said to her, ‘What is their appearance?’ And she said to him, ‘An elderly man coming up, and he himself wrapped in a double cloak, an ephod.’ She says she has seen even the priestly garment.
I know that the one from that argument says: “No wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. So it is no great thing if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness.” But what is it that “the woman saw”? “Samuel.” And why has it not been said: “The woman saw a demon that pretended to be Samuel”? But it is written that “Saul knew that it is Samuel.” If it were not Samuel, it ought to have been written: “Saul supposed him to be Samuel.” But now it is written: “Saul knew”—and no one knows what is not; therefore “Saul knew that it is Samuel,” “and he fell on his face on the earth and worshiped.”
Then again the person of the Scripture: “And Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you provoked me to bring me up?’” “Said,” says the Scripture that must be believed—“Samuel said, ‘Why have you provoked me to bring me up?’” Then Saul answers this: “The foreigners are fighting hard against me, and God has stood away from me and has not answered me any longer, and even by the hand of the prophets and in dreams I have called, that he might show me what I should do.” Again the Scripture has not spoken otherwise, but that Samuel himself said: “And why have you inquired of me? And the Lord has stood away from you.” Does he speak truly or falsely when he says these things: “The Lord has stood away from you and has become against you and has made another for himself, as he spoke by my hand, and he will tear the kingdom from your hand”—and a demon prophesies about Israel’s kingdom? What does the opposing argument say? You see how great a contest there is in the Word of God, needing also hearers able to hear holy words—great and secret words about the departure—while the earlier things are still being questioned and the later are not yet clear.
Greek
Ταῦτα μὲν ἐρεῖ ὀ μὴ βουλόμενος ἀγῶνα παραδέξασθαι, ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν ὄντως ὁ ἀναχθείς· ἐπεὶ δὲ δεῖ εὐγνώμονα εἶναι ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν τῶν γραφῶν, πιθανῶς καταβομβήσαντος ἡμῶν τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἀληθῶς δυναμένου ταράξαι καὶ κινῆσαι ἡμᾶς, ἴδωμεν πότερόν ποτε νενόηται ἡ γραφὴ τῷ τοῦτο μὴ παραδεξαμένῳ, ἢ ἀπὸ ἐνδόξων μὲν ἐπιχειρεῖ, ἐναντία δὲ λέγει τοῖς γεγραμμένοις. τίνα γάρ ἐστιν τὰ γεγραμμένα; «καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· τίνα ἀναγάγω σοι;‘ τίνος πρόσωπόν ἐστιν τὸ λέγον· «εἶπεν ἡ γυνή«; ἀρα τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἐξ οὗ πεπίστευται ἀναγεγράφθαι ἡ γραφή, ἢ ἄλλου τινός; τὸ γάρ διηγηματικὸν πρόσωπον πανταχοῦ ὡς ἴσασιν καὶ οἱ περὶ παντοδαποὺς γενόμενοι λόγους) ἐστὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ συγγραφέως· συγγραφεὺς δ’ ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν λόγων πεπίστευται εἶναι οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ συγγραφεὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ κινῆσαν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. οὐκοῦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λέγει· «καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· τίνα ἀναγάγω σοι; καὶ εἶπεν· Σαμουὴλ μοι. τίς λέγει· «καὶ εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Σαμουήλ, καὶ ἐβόησεν ἡ γυνὴ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγουσα«; ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν τοσαῦτα ἡμῶν καταβομβήσαντα καὶ μυρία εἰρηκότα ὡς ἄρα Σαμουὴλ οὐκ ἠν ἐν ᾅδου· «εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Σαμουήλ«, ἡ διηγηματικὴ φωνὴ τοῦτο ἔφησεν, «καὶ ἐβόησεν ἡ γυνὴ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Σαούλ· ἵνα τί παρελογίσω με; καὶ σὺ εἶ Σαούλ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ βασιλεύς· τί γάρ ἐστιν; μὴ φοβοῦ· τί ἑώρακας; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς τὸν Σαούλ· θεοὺς εἶδον ἀναβαίνοντας ἐκ τῆς γῆς. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· τί τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῖς; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος ἀναβαίνων, καὶ αὐτὸς περιβεβλημένος διπλοΐδα ἐφούδ. λέγει αὐτὴν ἑωρακέναι καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον τὸ ἱερατικόν. οἶδα δὲ ὅτι ὁ ἐκ τοῦ ἐκ τοῦ] λόγου λέγει· «οὐ θαῦμα· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός. οὐ μέγα οὖν, εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης. ἀλλὰ τί ἐστιν ὅπερ «εἶδεν ἡ γυνή«; «τὸν Σαμουήλ. καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ εἴρηται· εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ δαιμόνιον, ὃ προσεποιεῖτο εἶναι Σαμουήλ; ἀλλὰ γέγραπται ὅτι «ἔγνω Σαοὺλ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν. εἰ μὴ ἦν Σαμουήλ, ἔδει γεγράφθαι· ἐνόμιζεν Σαοὺλ εἶναι αὐτὸν Σαμουήλ. νῦν δὲ γέγραπται· «ἔγνω Σαούλ«, οὐδεὶς δὲ ἔγνω τὸ μὴ ὄν· «ἔγνω« οὐν «Σαοὺλ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν« «καὶ ἔπεσεν | | ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν‘. εἶτα πάλιν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γραφῆς· «καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουὴλ πρὸς Σαούλ· ἵνα τί παρώργισάς με τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με;« εἶπεν‘ φησὶν ἡ γραφὴ ᾗ δεῖ πιστεύειν) «εἶπεν Σαμουήλ· ἵνα τί παρώργισάς με τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με;« εἶτα πρὸς τοῦτο ἀποκρίνεται Σαούλ· «σφόδρα οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πολεμοῦσιν ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἀπέστη ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη μοι ἔτι, καίγε ἐν χειρὶ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐνυπνίοις ἐκάλεσα τοῦ δηλῶσαί μοι τί ποιήσω. πάλιν ἡ γραφὴ οὐκ ἄλλως εἶπεν, ἀλλ’ ὅτι αὐτὸς Σαμουὴλ ἔφη· «καὶ ἵνα τί ἐπηρώτησάς με; καὶ κύριος ἀπέστη ἀπὸ σοῦ((. ἀληθεύει ἢ ψεύδεται ταῦτα λέγων· κύριος ἀπέστη ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ἐγενήθη κατὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ἄλλον αὑτῷ, ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησεν ἐν χειρί μου, καὶ διαρρήξει τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ χειρός , καὶ δαιμόνιον προφητεύει περὶ βασιλείας Ἰσραηλιτικῆς; τί φησιν ὁ ἐναντίος λόγος; ὁρᾶτε ὅσος ἀγών ἐστιν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, χρείαν ἔχων καὶ ἀκροατῶν δυναμένων ἁγίων ἀκούειν λόγων, μεγάλων καὶ ἀπορρήτων τῶν περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου, ἔτι ἐπαπορουμένων τε τῶν προτέρων οὐδὲ τῶν δευτέρων σαφῶν ὄντων.
About this text
Origen, Homily on 1 Samuel 28 (the medium). Original English Translation from the Greek (Klostermann).
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.