1 Samuel 16:23 BSB — MannaFest

1 Samuel 16:23

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

KJV

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

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Commentary

4 voices

Gregory the Dialogist

The Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 3, Chapter 2 (604)

For neither is this to be lightly regarded, that, when an adverse spirit entered into Saul, David took his harp and assuaged his madness. For what is intimated by Saul but the elation of men in power, and what by David but the humble life of the holy?

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Departed - Namely, for a season. And the reason of this success, may be, partly natural, and partly, supernatural, respecting David; whom God designed by this means to bring into favour with the king, and so to smooth the way for his advancement.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Only his instrumental music with his harp is mentioned, but it should seem, by the account Josephus gives, that he added vocal music to it, and sung hymns, probably divine hymns, songs of praise, to his harp. David's music was Saul's physic. [1.] Music has a natural tendency to compose and exhilarate the mind, when it is disturbed and saddened.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

The evil spirit from God - The word evil is not in the common Hebrew text, but it is in the Vulgate, Septuagint, Targum, Syriac, and Arabic, and in eight of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS., which present the text thus: רוח אלהים רעה ruach Elohim raah, spiritus Domini malus, the evil spirit of God. The Septuagint leave out Θεου, of God, and have πνευμα πονηρον, the evil spirit. The Targum says, The evil spirit from before the Lord; and the Arabic has it. The evil spirit by the permission of God; this is at least the sense.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

20 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וְהָיָ֗ה	ve.ha.Yah	and it was	H1961 →
בִּֽהְי֤וֹת	bih.Yot	when was	H1961 →
רֽוּחַ־	Ru.ach-	a spirit of	H7307 →
אֱלֹהִים֙	'E.lo.Him	God	H430 →
אֶל־	'el-	to	H413 →
שָׁא֔וּל	sha.'Ul	Saul	H7586 →
וְלָקַ֥ח	ve.la.Kach	and he took	H3947 →
דָּוִ֛ד	da.Vid	David	H1732 →
אֶת־	'et-	<obj.>	H853 →
הַכִּנּ֖וֹר	ha.ki.Nor	the harp	H3658 →
וְנִגֵּ֣ן	ve.ni.Gen	and he played	H5059 →
בְּיָד֑וֹ	be.ya.Do	with hand his	H3027 →
וְרָוַ֤ח	ve.ra.Vach	and it was relief	H7304 →
לְשָׁאוּל֙	le.sha.'Ul	to Saul	H7586 →
וְט֣וֹב	ve.Tov	and good	H2896 →
ל֔וֹ	lo	[belonged] to <the> him
וְסָ֥רָה	ve.Sa.rah	and it departed	H5493 →
מֵעָלָ֖יו	me.'a.Lav	from on <the> him	H5921 →
ר֥וּחַ	Ru.ach	[the] spirit of	H7307 →
הָרָעָֽה׃ פ	ha.ra.'Ah	<the> evil	H7451 →