1 Samuel 11:6
in 1 Samuel 11When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.
KJV
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 11
Commentary
8 notes on this verse7. What do we say in these words, except that the weaknesses of the saints, and those things which seem carnal, are not weak and carnal, but spiritual and mighty? For we are accustomed to rebuke excessive anger in religious men, but behold, before Saul could become exceedingly angry, the Spirit of the Lord first rushed upon him. How fearful, then, the anger of the saints must be, we perceive, if we consider the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon them—if, while we observe them outwardly angry, we equally attend to the Spirit stirring them within.
This site's exposition
Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen
on 1 Samuel 11:5-7
Saul comes in from the field behind his oxen, still a farmer, and the Spirit of God rushes upon him with an anger that for once brings deliverance. The cut oxen sent through Israel echo the Levite’s signal at Judges 19:29, now summoning Israel to rescue a city. It is "the terror of the LORD" that unites the people, not loyalty to a king who has not yet acted.
This site's exposition
the Spirit of God rushed upon him
The Spirit rushed upon Saul first, and the anger followed. Gregory the Dialogist took that order as a sign that anger stirred by the Spirit of the Lord is a strength. John Gill reports that the Targum calls it a spirit of fortitude from the Lord.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings,.... And filled him with pity and compassion to the inhabitants of Jabesh, and with wisdom and prudence, and set his thoughts at work to contrive ways and means for their relief, and with fortitude, courage, and resolution, to attempt their deliverance; so the Targum,"the spirit of fortitude from the Lord dwelt on Saul:''and his anger was kindled greatly; against Nahash the Ammonite for insulting Israel, and threatening to use the inhabitants of Jabesh in such a cruel manner.
He was angry at the insolence of the Ammonites, angry at the mean and sneaking spirit of the men of Jabesh-Gilead, angry that they had not sent him notice sooner of the Ammonites' descent and the extremity they were likely to be reduced to. He was angry to see his neighbours weeping, when it was fitter for them to be preparing for war.
31 ), Thy ox shall be slain before thy eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. It was necessary that the command should be enforced with some penalty, but this was not nearly so severe as that which was affixed to a similar order by the whole congregation, Judg. xxi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The Spirit of God came upon Saul - He felt himself strongly excited to attempt the relief of his brethren. And his anger was kindled greatly - I believe this means no more than that his courage was greatly excited, he felt himself strong for fight, and confident of success.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This time the Spirit of God came upon him, as upon the Judges before him, as a Spirit of supernatural energy and power.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Behind the cattle. After the appointed time that the cattle come in from the field.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּצְלַ֤ח | vatitzlach | and it rushed | H6743 → | 65 times |
| רֽוּחַ־ | ruach- | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| כְּשָׁמְע֖וֹ | keshameov | just as heard he | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וַיִּ֥חַר | vaiyichar | and it burned | H2734 → | 91 times |
| אַפּ֖וֹ | ʾapo | anger his | H639 → | 276 times |
| מְאֹֽד׃ | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
וַתִּצְלַ֤חand it rushed
vatitzlachH6743 →65 times
רֽוּחַ־[the] spirit of
ruach-H7307 →378 times
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
כְּשָׁמְע֖וֹjust as heard he
keshameovH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִ֣יםthe words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וַיִּ֥חַרand it burned
vaiyicharH2734 →91 times
אַפּ֖וֹanger his
ʾapoH639 →276 times
מְאֹֽד׃exceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 14:6and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father…
it leads to
- Judges 3:10
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Judges 3:10
Through
1 Samuel 16:13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and…
it leads to
- John 3:34
For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 10:6
Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.
- Hebrews 1:9
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”
- 1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
- John 3:34
Through
Judges 6:34So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 24:20
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments…
- Romans 13:14
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
- Judges 3:27
On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.