1 Samuel 19:20
in 1 Samuel 19he sent messengers to capture him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
KJV
And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 19
Commentary
9 notes on this verseNow, it seems to me that fortuitous circumstance also is sometimes the cause of prophesying, as is true in the present case of Caiaphas. He was high priest of that year [in which] Jesus was to die for the people that the whole nation might not perish. For although others were high priests … no one prophesies except the high priest of the year in which Jesus was to suffer.And it was fortuitous circumstance that caused the messengers of Saul to prophesy when they were sent to David, along with Saul himself.
This site's exposition
he sent messengers to capture him
on 1 Samuel 19:20-21
Three companies of messengers come to seize David, and each is overtaken by "the Spirit of God" and prophesies instead of making an arrest. The text repeats it three times without explanation, since the repetition is the argument: God stops Saul through the office he wanted turned against David. Clarke reads the outcome as the point, the men kept from seizing David by a power stronger than their orders.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The book of Kings [Samuel] gives us an example about prophecy. Saul was the persecutor of David. When he was persecuting him, he sent guards to drag him away to punishment, and those who were sent to bring David to be slain found him among the prophets; and Samuel was there too.… So he had fled to the place where besides Samuel, the most distinguished of all the prophets, there were also many other prophets. Pushing their way among them, while they were prophesying, came the emissaries of Saul, to drag him off, as I said, to death. The spirit of God leaped upon them and they began to prophesy, having come to lead a holy and just man of God to the execution block and snatch him away from among the prophets. They were suddenly filled with the spirit of God and turned into prophets. It's possible this happened because of their innocence; after all, they hadn't come of their own accord to arrest him but had been sent by their king. And perhaps they had indeed come to the place where David was but weren't going to do what Saul had told them to; perhaps they too were intending to stay there. Because such things even happen today. Sometimes a bailiff is sent by high authority to drag somebody out of the church; he dare not act against God, and in order not to face execution himself he stays there, in the place he was sent, to haul someone out of it. So you could say, pleasantly surprised and relieved, that these men suddenly became prophets because they were innocent; the very gift of prophecy bore witness to their innocence. They came because they were sent, but they weren't going to do what that bad man had told them to. Let us believe that about them.Others were sent; the Spirit of God leaped on them too, and they too began to prophesy. Let's count them too with the first lot as being quite innocent. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And whereas some might falsely pretend to those raptures; or the devil might transform himself into an angel of light, Samuel's presence and judgment was necessary to prevent and to detect such impostures.
And Saul sent messengers to take David,....
And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. Saul and Jonathan appear here in their different characters, with reference to David. Never was enemy so unreasonably cruel as Saul.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The company of the prophets prophesying - Employed in religious exercises. Samuel - appointed over them - Being head or president of the school at this place. The Spirit of God was upon the messengers - They partook of the same influence, and joined in the same exercise; and thus were prevented from seizing David.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It was a retreat congenial to the mind of David; but Saul, having found out his asylum, sent three successive bodies of men to apprehend him. The character of the place and the influence of the sacred exercises produced such an effect on them that they were incapable of discharging their commission, and were led, by a resistless impulse, to join in singing the praises of God.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Samuel standing as appointed - Rather, “as Overseer, or leader.”
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| שָׁא֣וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| מַלְאָכִים֮ | malakhim | messengers | H4397 → | 213 times |
| לָקַ֣חַת | lakachat | to fetch | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּוִד֒ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיַּ֗רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לַהֲקַ֤ת | lahakat | [the] company of | H3862 → | |
| הַנְּבִיאִים֙ | haneviim | the prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| נִבְּאִ֔ים | nibeim | prophesying | H5012 → | 115 times |
| וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕ל | ushemuel | and Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| עֹמֵ֥ד | ʾomed | [was] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| נִצָּ֖ב | nitzav | chief | H5324 → | 75 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾaleihem | over them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַתְּהִ֞י | vatehi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מַלְאֲכֵ֤י | malakhei | [the] messengers of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| ר֣וּחַ | ruach | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֔ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ | vaiyitnabeu | and they prophesied | H5012 → | 115 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הֵֽמָּה׃ | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
שָׁא֣וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
מַלְאָכִים֮messengers
malakhimH4397 →213 times
לָקַ֣חַתto fetch
lakachatH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דָּוִד֒David
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיַּ֗רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לַהֲקַ֤ת[the] company of
lahakatH3862 →
הַנְּבִיאִים֙the prophets
haneviimH5030 →314 times
נִבְּאִ֔יםprophesying
nibeimH5012 →115 times
וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕לand Samuel
ushemuelH8050 →141 times
עֹמֵ֥ד[was] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 times
נִצָּ֖בchief
nitzavH5324 →75 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֑םover them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וַתְּהִ֞יand it was
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
עַֽל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מַלְאֲכֵ֤י[the] messengers of
malakheiH4397 →213 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
ר֣וּחַ[the] spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
אֱלֹהִ֔יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּand they prophesied
vaiyitnabeuH5012 →115 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
הֵֽמָּה׃they
hemahH1992 →553 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
Joel 2:28And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
it leads to
- Acts 2:16–21
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
- Ezekiel 39:29
And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
- Isaiah 32:15
until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.
- Acts 2:39
This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
- Acts 2:2–4
Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- Acts 2:16–21
Through
1 Samuel 10:10When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:5–6
After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded…
- 1 Samuel 10:5–6
Through
John 7:32When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.
it leads to
- Acts 5:26
At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.
- John 12:19
Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”
- Acts 5:26
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 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 162A; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 28.175-76.