King James Version

1 Samuel 28:14

And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לָהּ֙lahtoלָהּ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “to”toמַֽהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.תָּאֳר֔וֹtaorvocountenanceתֹּאַרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “countenance”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8389outline, i.e. figure or appearance[phrase] beautiful, [idiom] comely, countenance, [phrase] fair, [idiom] favoured, form, [idiom] goodly, [idiom] resemble, visage.וַתֹּ֗אמֶרvatomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אִ֤ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…זָקֵן֙zaqenoldזָקֵןadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “old”, the ordinary formH2205oldaged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator.עֹלֶ֔הolehascend upעָלָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “ascend up”, a verb used as a describing wordH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…וְה֥וּאvehuand as for herהוּאconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.עֹטֶ֖הotehcoverעָטָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “cover”, a verb used as a describing wordH5844to wrap, i.e. cover, veil, cloth, or rollarray self, be clad, (put a) cover (-ing, self), fill, put on, [idiom] surely, turn aside.מְעִ֑ילmeilrobeמְעִילnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “robe”, the ordinary formH4598a robe (i.e. upper and outer garment)cloke, coat, mantle, robe.וַיֵּ֤דַעvayedaand knowיָדַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and know”, the next action in the storyH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…שָׁאוּל֙shaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…שְׁמוּאֵ֣לshemuelShemuelשְׁמוּאֵלnoun, proper name — “Shemuel”H8050Shemuel, the name of three IsraelitesSamuel, Shemuel.ה֔וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.וַיִּקֹּ֥דvayiqodand stoopקָדַדconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and stoop”, the next action in the storyH6915to shrivel up, i.e. contract or bend the body (or neck) in deferencebow (down) (the) head, stoop.אַפַּ֛יִםapayimfaceאַףnoun, common, masculine, dual, absolute — “face”, the ordinary formH639properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ireanger(-gry), [phrase] before, countenance, face, [phrase] forebearing, forehead, [phrase] (long-) suffering, nose, nostril, snout, [idiom] worthy, wrath.אַ֖רְצָהartsahearthאֶרֶץnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute, directional ending — “earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּvayishtachvand crouchשָׁחָהconjunction, verb, hithpael, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and crouch”, the next action in the storyH7812to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God)bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he said unto her: 'What form is he of?' And she said: 'An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe.' And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and prostrated himself.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.

Young’s Literal Translation

And he saith to her, 'What [is] his form?' and she saith, 'An aged man is coming up, and he [is] covered with an upper robe;' and Saul knoweth that he [is] Samuel, and boweth — face to thee earth — and doth obeisance.

World English Bible

He said to her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe.” Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.

Darby Translation

And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

Douay-Rheims

And he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he said to her, What didst thou perceive? and she said to him, An upright man ascending out of the earth, and he was clothed with a mantle. And Saul knew that this was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the earth, and did obeisance to him.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, τί ἔγνως; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἄνδρα ὄρθιον ἀναβαίνοντα ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οὗτος διπλοΐδα ἀναβεβλημένος· καὶ ἔγνω Σαοὺλ, ὅτι οὗτος Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ἔκυψεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ.