1 Sam. 28. 9.
Isai. 29. 4.
1. Because the word sometimes signifieth the persons pretending to be skilful in this sort of Divinations; for so the Woman saith unto Saul: Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off הָאבוֹת Pythones, that is, the persons that pretended, and practised that kind of Divination. And so again in that of Isaiah: And thy voice shall be כְּאוֹב sicut Pythonis as the voice of one that useth this kind of Divination. So that it is clear that the act is ascribed unto, and was performed by the persons practising this couzening craft, and not unto a familiar or Devil.
2. Sometimes it is taken for the means that they pretended they performed it by, as in Sauls deluded and despairing sense; for he saith, Divina quæso mihi כְּאוֹב in Pythone, vel per Pythonem, and cause to ascend whom I shall name unto thee. So that he vainly thought that she could call up, and make to ascend whomsoever he should name, so blind and deluded was he when the spirit of the Lord was departed from him, and was justly delivered up to believe lies, because he had not received the love of the truth.
Nahum 3. 4.
3. It doth not appear that she had any familiar spirit, or called up any; for the name that is there given her is בַּעֲלַת אוֹב Dominam Pythonis vel utris; the Mistriss of the Bottle, or of the Oracle, for Saul saith, seek me a Woman that is Mistriss of the Bottle, or of the Oracle, for so it must signifie, if it be genuinely and fitly translated; and his servants tell him, that at Endor there is a Woman that was Mistriss of Ob, the Bottle or Oracle. For though some translate it mulier habens Pythonem, or as Tremellius, mulier prædita Pythone, it will but reach thus much, that she was possessed of or had in her power, this Ob, Bottle, or Oracle, that could be nothing but the fit contrived place to give answers, as they did at the Oracle. For if they meant that she had a familiar spirit in her Belly, then it was possest of her, more than she could be said to be possest of it. But there is another Text that doth fully agree with this, and will help to explicate it, and is this, speaking of the destruction of Nineveh or the Jewish Nation, and the causes of it: Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the welfavoured harlot, the Mistriss of Witchcrafts, בַּעֲלַת כְּשָׁפִים, Domina vel patrona, the Mistriss, or Patroness of Juglings and delusions. So that in propriety of language she of Endor is called the Mistriss of Python or Oracle, because she could play the couzening feats that belonged unto it.
2 Chron. 33.6.
Gen. 6. 14. 16.
Psal. 115. 3.
Id. 136. 4.