1 Samuel 16:14
in 1 Samuel 16After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.
KJV
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 16
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Athanasius of Alexandria296–373
Discourses Against the Arians 3.25.25 · Written before 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.
This site's exposition
the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul
In the very next verse the Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubles him, the same breath in which David was filled. Two readings hold the hard clause together: Matthew Henry reads it as righteous judgment, God withdrawing the help Saul forsook when he forsook his duty, while Adam Clarke reads the spirit as sent or permitted by God to afflict rather than caused by him as evil in itself. Both agree the timing is no coincidence, that what is given to David in one verse is taken from Saul in the next.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Again, that you may be sure that God curbs the spirit of pride, recall how the good spirit of God departed from Saul and an evil spirit troubled him. Holy Writ says, "And an evil spirit of God troubled him," a spirit from God. Does God, then, have an evil spirit? Not at all. God had withdrawn so that afterwards an evil spirit might trouble Saul. In that sense, the spirit of God is called evil. Finally, holy David, knowing that God could take away the spirit of princes, entreats him, "And do not take your holy spirit from me."
I will instruct you of that which is written, that the Spirit is not at every time found with those that receive it. For it is written about Saul, that the Holy Spirit, which he received when he was anointed, departed from him, because he grieved it, and God sent to him instead of it a vexing spirit. And whenever he was afflicted by the evil spirit, David used to play upon the harp, and the Holy Spirit, which David received when he was anointed, would come, and the evil spirit that was vexing Saul would flee from before it. So the Holy Spirit that David received was not found with him at every time. As long as he was playing the harp, then it used to come.
The devil has power that might be called his own, only over such as no longer belong to God, the heathen whom he considers once for all as a drop in a bucket, as dust on the threshing floor, as spittle in the mouth—and, as such, totally handed over to the devil as a quite useless possession.Otherwise, he may do nothing by his own right, against those who dwell in the house of God, because the cases that are noted in Scripture show us when—that is, for what reasons—he may touch them. The right to tempt a person is granted to the devil, either for the sake of a trial, as in the texts cited above, whether God or the devil initiates the plan, or for the purpose of the reprobation of a sinner, who is handed over to the devil as to an executioner. This was the case with Saul. "The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled and stifled him." Again, it may happen in order to humble a person, as Paul tells us that there was given him a thorn, a messenger of Satan, to buffet him, and even this sort of thing is not permitted for the humiliation of holy ones through torment of the flesh, unless it be done so that their power to resist may be perfected in weakness.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, etc. As the proclamation of Christ increased, the grace of the Spirit soon deserted the hearts of the faithless Jews, and incited them with impious fury to persecute his name; and this the Lord permitted by …
Behold, the evil spirit of God agitates you, etc. The apostles said to the Jews, desiring in all things to serve their salvation: See and recognize how evil the spirit is, which, because of your fault, has been sent by the Lord against your minds, …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the L ORD : sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v4-5
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,....
He having forsaken God and his duty, God, in a way of righteous judgment, withdrew from him those assistances of the good Spirit with which he was directed, animated, and encouraged in his government and wars. He lost all his good qualities. This was the effect of his rejecting God, and an evidence of his being rejected by him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul - He was thrown into such a state of mind by the judgments of God, as to be deprived of any regal qualities which he before possessed. God seems to have taken what gifts he had, and given them to David; and then the evil spirit came upon Saul; for what God fills not, the devil will. An evil spirit from the Lord - The evil spirit was either immediately sent from the Lord, or permitted to come.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And a spirit of Adonoy passed over. A spirit of strength. 7 Targum renders ‘a spirit of prophecy.’
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. 6 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
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְר֧וּחַ | veruach | and [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| סָ֖רָה | sarah | it departed | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מֵעִ֣ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| שָׁא֑וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וּבִֽעֲתַ֥תּוּ | uviatatu | and it terrified him | H1204 → | |
| רֽוּחַ־ | ruach- | a spirit | H7307 → | 378 times |
| רָעָ֖ה | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| מֵאֵ֥ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְר֧וּחַand [the] spirit of
veruachH7307 →378 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
סָ֖רָהit departed
sarahH5493 →299 times
מֵעִ֣םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
שָׁא֑וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וּבִֽעֲתַ֥תּוּand it terrified him
uviatatuH1204 →
רֽוּחַ־a spirit
ruach-H7307 →378 times
רָעָ֖הevil
raahH7451 →662 times
מֵאֵ֥תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Psalms 51:11Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- 2 Kings 13:23
But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been…
- Isaiah 63:10–11
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
- Romans 8:9
You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong…
- Genesis 6:3
So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
- Ephesians 4:30
Through
1 Samuel 18:12So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 16:13–14
So 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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 18:15
When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.
- 1 Samuel 16:13–14
Through
1 Samuel 28:15Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He…
it leads to
- Luke 16:23–26
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
- Luke 16:23–26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
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; Aphrahat the Persian Sage, DEMONSTRATION 6.16; Athanasius of Alexandria, Discourses Against the Arians 3.25.25; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 9 (PS 75); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Tertullian, ON FLIGHT IN TIME OF PERSECUTION 2.6-7.