Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? - i:e., evoke from Sheol, Hades, the invisible subterranean world, which, according to the popular ideas of the Hebrews, was the abode of departed spirits until they were delivered from that quiet, though imperfect and temporary, state of bliss [hence the phrases which are frequently used in the Septuagint, hupo chthonos, under the earth, and kath' Hadou, down in Hades; and the spirits existing in the state of the dead are in the New Testament termed katachthonios (G2709) (Philippians 2:10) and hupokatoo (G5270) tees (G3588) gees (G1093) (Revelation 5:3).] 'The question here is not what was expressly revealed to that people on this subject, but what appear to have been the notions commonly entertained concerning it? or what was it which the learned Dr. Lowth styles the infernum poeticum of the Hebrews? Indeed, the artifice employed by their wizards and necromancers of returning answers in a feigned voice, which appeared to those present as proceeding from under the ground (Isaiah 29:4: cf. 1 Samuel 8:10), is a demonstration of the prevalency of the sentiments I have been illustrating, in regard both to the existence and to the abode of souls departed,' (Campbell's 'Preliminary Dissertation,' vol. 6:, part 2:)