1 Samuel 19:9
in 1 Samuel 19But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And an evil spirit from Jehovah was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
KJV
And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 19
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd the evil spirit from the Lord - His envy and jealousy again returned, producing distraction of mind, which was exacerbated by diabolic influence. See on 1Sa 16:14 (note).
This site's exposition
When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines
on 1 Samuel 19:8-10
David’s victory renews Saul’s jealousy as at 18:6 to 9, and "a spirit of distress from the LORD" comes upon him, the phrasing of 16:14 and 18:10. The older commentators differ on whether it names a judicial abandonment or a permitted affliction. The spear flies at David a third time and strikes only the wall, so the next move turns from the king’s own arm to messengers.
This site's exposition
a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him
Adam Clarke traces the distress to Saul's envy returning after David's new victory, with the devil's influence adding to it. Matthew Henry sets the attack beside the oath of verse 6. The man who swore by the LORD's life now takes up the spear himself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Gregory of NyssaON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2.16.269-70 · Written before 395.
proposed
Now it is certainly obvious what the sequence is looking to through the figures of the story. The one of David is predicted by means of David, and the one who was anointed signifies the Christ.
As also, on the other hand, if we have no works, the Spirit flieth away. But if we be deserted by the Spirit, we shall also halt in our works. For when this hath gone, the unclean one cometh: this is plain from Saul. For what if he doth not choke us as he did him, still he strangles us in some other way by wicked works. We have need then of the harp of David, that we may charm our souls with the divine songs, both these, and those from good actions. Since if we do the one only, and while we listen to the charm, war with the charmer by our actions, as he did of old; the remedy will even turn to judgment to us, and the madness become the more furious. For before we heard, the wicked demon was afraid lest we should hear it and recover. But when after hearing it even, we continue the same as we were, this is the very thing to rid him of his fear. Let us sing then the Psalm of good deeds, that we may cast out the sin that is worse than the demon.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, etc. When the Son of God in flesh shone with miracles, the spirit of envy was kindled against him in the hearts of the Jews, the Lord giving them over to the desires of their …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Saul continues his malice against David. He that but the other day had sworn by his Maker that David should not be slain now endeavors to slay him himself. So implacable, so incurable, is the enmity of the serpent against that of the woman, so deceitful and desperately wicked is the heart of man without the grace of God, Jer. xvii.
), for when we let the sun go down upon our wrath we give place to the devil ( Eph. iv. 26, 27 ), we make room for him and invite him. Discomposures of mind, though helped forward by the agency of Satan, commonly owe their origin to men's own sins and follies.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul,....
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתְּהִי֩ | vatehi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ר֨וּחַ | ruach | a spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| רָעָה֙ | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וְהוּא֙ | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בְּבֵית֣וֹ | beveito | in house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יוֹשֵׁ֔ב | yoshev | [was] sitting | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| וַחֲנִית֖וֹ | vachanito | and spear his | H2595 → | 47 times |
| בְּיָד֑וֹ | beyado | [was] in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְדָוִ֖ד | vedavid | and David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| מְנַגֵּ֥ן | menagen | [was] playing an instrument | H5059 → | 15 times |
| בְּיָֽד׃ | beyad | with hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וַתְּהִי֩and it was
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
ר֨וּחַa spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
יְהוָ֤ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
רָעָה֙evil
raahH7451 →662 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וְהוּא֙and he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
בְּבֵית֣וֹin house his
beveitoH1004 →2046 times
יוֹשֵׁ֔ב[was] sitting
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
וַחֲנִית֖וֹand spear his
vachanitoH2595 →47 times
בְּיָד֑וֹ[was] in hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וְדָוִ֖דand David
vedavidH1732 →999 times
מְנַגֵּ֥ן[was] playing an instrument
menagenH5059 →15 times
בְּיָֽד׃with hand
beyadH3027 →1618 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
1 Samuel 16:14After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 18:10
The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 51:11
Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
- 1 Samuel 18:12
So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
- Judges 9:23
God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,
- 1 Samuel 28:15
Then 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…
- 1 Samuel 18:10
Through
1 Samuel 16:16Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 3:15
But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
- 1 Kings 10:8
How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
- 1 Samuel 16:21–23
When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer.
- 2 Kings 3:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2.16.269-70; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON ROMANS 28; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.