1 Samuel 16:15 BSB — MannaFest

1 Samuel 16:15

Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

KJV

And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

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Commentary

3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

And Saul's servants said unto him,.... His courtiers, who observing him to act in a frantic manner, to be dull and melancholy, timorous, and irresolute, unsteady, divided, and distressed; or his physicians, who were called in to assist him, and remove his disorder from him: behold, now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee: the disorder was not from any natural cause, or any bodily disease, and therefore out of the reach of physicians to do any service, but was from an evil spirit suffered of God to harass and disturb him.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

Athanasius of Alexandria

296–373

Discourses Against the Arians 3.25.25 (373)

Therefore, when a person falls from the Spirit for any wickedness, if he repents after his fall, the grace remains irrevocably to the one who is willing; otherwise he who has fallen is no longer in God (because that Holy Spirit and Paraclete which is in God has deserted him), but this sinner shall be in him to whom he has subjected himself, as took place in Saul's instance; for the Spirit of God departed from him and an evil spirit was afflicting him.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

The “evil” or “melancholy” spirit here spoken of was “the Spirit of God,” or “of Jehovah,” as being God’s messenger and minister, sent by Him to execute His righteous purpose upon Saul (see 1Ki 22:19-22 note).

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

10 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ	vai.yo.me.Ru	and they said	H559 →
עַבְדֵֽי־	'av.dei-	[the] servants of	H5650 →
שָׁא֖וּל	sha.'Ul	Saul	H7586 →
אֵלָ֑יו	'e.Lav	to him	H413 →
הִנֵּה־	hi.neh-	here!	H2009 →
נָ֧א	na'	please	H4994 →
רֽוּחַ־	Ru.ach-	a spirit of	H7307 →
אֱלֹהִ֛ים	'E.lo.Him	God	H430 →
רָעָ֖ה	ra.'Ah	evil	H7451 →
מְבַעִתֶּֽךָ׃	me.va.'i.Te.kha	[is] terrifying you	H1204 →