And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? (1 Samuel 28:9)
Saul’s national edict did not achieve the complete cooperation of all subjects. Imperial decrees frequently fail of securing universal conformity. The Roman persecutions of the Christians did not prevent Christianity from surviving and in many instances flourishing.
The woman, apparently informed by the spirits of Saul’s identity (see on v. 12), now feared for her own life (see on v. 25). In the full realization that her occult art was under the royal ban, she had nevertheless been practicing it in secret. Little did she realize that Saul himself had long been troubled by evil spirits (ch. 16:14-16), and was now completely at their mercy.