Bible Encyclopedia: Endor

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

EN-DOR

en'-dor `en dor, Joshua 17:11; `en dor, 1 Samuel 28:7; `en do'r, Psalm 83:10; Codex Alexandrinus, Nendor; Codex Vaticanus, Aeldor:

A town in the lot of Issachar assigned to Manasseh (Joshua 17:11). Here dwelt the woman who had a familiar spirit, whom Saul consulted on the night before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:7). Here also, according to Psalm 83:10, perished fugitives of Sisera's army, after their defeat at the Kishon. The place was therefore not far from the Kishon and Tabor.

It is generally identified with the modern Endur, a small village on the northern slope of Jebel ed-Duchy, with several ancient caves. It is not far from Nain and Shunem, and looks across the valley along which the broken ranks of Sisera may have attempted to make their way eastward to the open uplands, and thence to their native North. Coming hither from Gilboa, eluding the Philistine outposts under cover of the darkness, Saul would cross the Vale of Jezreel, and pass round the eastern base of the mountain, the Philistines being on the west.

W. Ewing

EN-DOR, WITCH OF

wich:

In 1 Samuel 28:3-25, it is narrated how Saul, in despair of mind because Yahweh had forsaken him, on the eve of the fatal battle of Gilboa, resorted in disguise to "a woman that had a familiar spirit" ('obh: see DIVINATION; NECROMANCY), at En-dor, and besought the woman to divine for him, and bring him up from the dead whom he should name. On the woman reminding him how Saul had cut off from the land those who practiced these arts-a proof of the existence and operation of the laws against divination, witchcraft, necromancy, etc. (Leviticus 19:31 Deuteronomy 18:9-14)-the king assured her of immunity, and bade her call up Samuel. The incidents that followed have been the subject of much discussion and of varied interpretation. It seems assumed in the narrative that the woman did see an appearance, which the king, on her describing it, recognized to bethat of Samuel.

This, however, need be only the narrator's interpretation of the events. It is not to be credited that the saintly Samuel was actually summoned from his rest by the spells of a professional diviner. Some have thought that Samuel, by God's permission, did indeed appear, as much to the woman's dismay as to the king's; and urge in favor of this the woman's evident surprise and terror at his appearance (1 Samuel 28:12), and the true prophecy of Saul's fate (1 Samuel 28:16-19).

It may conceivably have been so, but the more reasonable view is that the whole transaction was a piece of feigning on the part of the woman. The Septuagint uses the word eggastrimuthos ("a ventriloquist") to describe the woman and those who exercised kindred arts (1 Samuel 28:9). Though pretending ignorance (1 Samuel 28:12), the woman doubtless recognizes Saul from the first. It was she who saw Samuel, and reported his words; the king himself saw and heard nothing. It required no great skill in a practiced diviner to forecast the general issue of the battle about to take place, and the disaster that would overtake Saul and his sons; while if the forecast had proved untrue, the narrative of the witch of En-dor would never have been written. Saul, in fact, was not slain, but killed himself. The incident, therefore, may best be ranked in the same category as the feats of modern mediumship.

James Orr

Library

The Raising of the Young Man of Nain - the Meeting of Life and ...
... Nazareth. [2628] For, from Capernaum the Lord would not have come that
way, but approach it from the north-east by Endor. Hence ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xx the raising of.htm

Now Saul Upon God's not Answering Him Concerning the Fight with ...
... And one of his servants told him that there was such a woman in the city Endor,
but was known to nobody in the camp; hereupon Saul put off his royal apparel ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 now saul upon.htm

Psalm LXXXIII.
... "Do thou to them," he saith, "as unto Madian and Sisera, as unto Jabin at the brook
of Kishon" (ver.9). "They perished at Endor, they became as the dung of the ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxxiii.htm

The First Kings.
... that day.". [Illustration: Saul and the Witch of Endor.]. God had selected
the first monarch of earth outside of heathenism. In the ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm

Religion --A Reality
... You might as well go to the Witch of Endor for grace as to a priest; and if you
rely upon words, the "Abracadabra" of a magician will as certainly raise you to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/religiona reality.htm

Hell.
... Behold Spira in his book, Cain in his guilt, and Saul with the witch of Endor, and
you shall see men ripened, men enlarged and greatened in their fancies ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xxviii hell.htm

Proof of Immortality and the Resurrection.
... c. Tryph., c. 105) uses the invocation of Samuel by the witch of Endor as a proof
of the immortality of the soul. [1806] Valesius (on Euseb. HE, iv. ...
/.../justin/the first apology of justin/chapter xviii proof of immortality and.htm

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son.
... slope of the mountain, which the Crusaders called Little Hermon, between twenty
and twenty-five miles south of Capernaum, and about two miles west of Endor. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xliv jesus raises the widows.htm

The Death of Two Brave Warriors
... Saul said to his servants, "Find for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go and
ask through her." His servants said to him, "There is such a woman at Endor ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the death of two brave.htm

At that Time Samuel Died. ...
... Footnotes: [307] The witch of Endor seems here to be referred to as if she had
practised ventriloquism, this being regarded as a form of demoniacal possession. ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xxxvi at that time.htm

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Endor

(fountain of Dor), a place in the territory of Issachar, and yet possessed by Manasseh. (Joshua 17:11) Endor was the scene of the great victory over Sisera and Jabin. It was here that the witch dwelt whom Saul consulted. (1 Samuel 28:7) it was known to Eusebius, who describes it was a large village four miles south of Tabor. Here to the north of Jebel Duhy the name still lingers. The distance from the slopes of Gilboa to Endor is seven or eight miles, over difficult ground.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Endor

A city of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11, four miles south of mount Tabor, near Nain, in the way to Scythopolis, Psalm 83:9,10. Here the witch lived whom Saul consulted, 1 Samuel 28:1-25. The pretence of this sorceress that she could call up the spirits of the dead from their repose was evidently false. She was amazed and appalled when the form of Samuel really appeared, sent by God himself to put her to shame, and bring to king Saul his last warning.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Fountain of Dor; i.e., "of the age", a place in the territory of Issachar (Joshua 17:11) near the scene of the great victory which was gained by Deborah and Barak over Sisera and Jabin (Comp. Psalm 83:9, 10). To Endor, Saul resorted to consult one reputed to be a witch on the eve of his last engagement with the Philistines (1 Samuel 28:7). It is identified with the modern village of Endur, "a dirty hamlet of some twenty houses, or rather huts, most of them falling to ruin," on the northern slope of Little Hermon, about 7 miles from Jezreel.

Thesaurus

Endor (3 Occurrences)
... To Endor, Saul resorted to consult one reputed to be a witch on the eve of his last
engagement with the Philistines (1 Samuel 28:7). It is identified with the ...
/e/endor.htm - 12k

Devils (48 Occurrences)
... the instance which requires the most careful treatment, because it holds the key
to all the rest, is the narrative of Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor in 1 ...
/d/devils.htm - 31k

Demons (54 Occurrences)
... the instance which requires the most careful treatment, because it holds the key
to all the rest, is the narrative of Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor in 1 ...
/d/demons.htm - 34k

Communion (8 Occurrences)
... the instance which requires the most careful treatment, because it holds the key
to all the rest, is the narrative of Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor in 1 ...
/c/communion.htm - 30k

With (66342 Occurrences)
... the instance which requires the most careful treatment, because it holds the key
to all the rest, is the narrative of Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor in 1 ...
/w/with.htm - 20k

Witchcraft (8 Occurrences)
... one of a class and (on the contrary) a collection of units; see Kautzsch, Hebrew
Grammar 28, section 122,s,t. The phrase "the witch of Endor" occurs frequently ...
/w/witchcraft.htm - 23k

Familiar (35 Occurrences)
... King Saul put this away early in his reign, but consulted the witch of Endor, who
"had a familiar spirit" (1 Samuel 28:3, 7, 8, 9 1 Chronicles 10:13). ...
/f/familiar.htm - 22k

Witch (2 Occurrences)
... one of a class and (on the contrary) a collection of units; see Kautzsch, Hebrew
Grammar 28, section 122,s,t. The phrase "the witch of Endor" occurs frequently ...
/w/witch.htm - 24k

En-dor (3 Occurrences)
En-dor. Endor, En-dor. Endow . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia EN-DOR. ... (BBE
JPS WBS NAS RSV). Endor, En-dor. Endow . Reference Bible.
/e/en-dor.htm - 11k

Inquire (95 Occurrences)
... zeteo, "to seek"); A form sometimes employed with reference to the practice of
divination, as where Saul "inquires of" (or "consults") the witch of Endor as to ...
/i/inquire.htm - 39k

Bible Concordance

Endor (3 Occurrences)

Joshua 17:11 Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in Asher Beth Shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns.
(WEB KJV NIV)

1 Samuel 28:7 Then said Saul to his servants, "Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor."
(WEB KJV RSV NIV)

Psalms 83:10 who perished at Endor, who became as dung for the earth.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY YLT NIV)

Subtopics

Endor

Related Terms

Devils (48 Occurrences)

Demons (54 Occurrences)

Communion (8 Occurrences)

With (66342 Occurrences)

Witchcraft (8 Occurrences)

Familiar (35 Occurrences)

Witch (2 Occurrences)

En-dor (3 Occurrences)