TRV
Translation
King James Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
KJV (with Strong's)
And it came to pass on the morrow H4283, that the evil H7451 spirit H7307 from God H430 came H6743 upon Saul H7586, and he prophesied H5012 in the midst H8432 of the house H1004: and David H1732 played H5059 with his hand H3027, as at other times H3117: and there was a javelin H2595 in Saul's H7586 hand H3027.
Complete Jewish Bible
The following day an evil spirit from God came powerfully over Sha'ul, so that he fell into a frenzy in the house. David was there, playing his lyre as on other occasions. This time Sha'ul had his spear in his hand;
Berean Standard Bible
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,
American Standard Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand;
World English Bible Messianic
On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
Geneva Bible (1599)
And on the morowe, the euill spirite of God came vpon Saul, and he prophecied in the middes of the house: and Dauid played with his hand like as at other times, and there was a speare in Sauls hand.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the spirit of sadness from God prospereth over Saul, and he prophesieth in the midst of the house, and David is playing with his hand, as day by day, and the javelin is in the hand of Saul,
See also
In the KJVVerse 7,687 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on 1 Samuel 18 verses 6–11
6 ¶ And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Now begin David's troubles, and they not only tread on the heels of his triumphs, but take rise from them, such is the vanity of that in this world which seems greatest.
I. He was too much magnified by the common people. Some time after the victory Saul went a triumphant progress through the cities of Israel that lay next him, to receive the congratulations of the country. And, when he made his public entry into any place, the women were most forward to show him respect, as was usual then in public triumphs (Sa1 18:6), and they had got a song, it seems, which they sang in their dances (made by some poet or other, that was a great admirer of David's bravery, and was more just than wise, in giving his achievements in the late action the preference before Saul's), the burden of which was, Saul had slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. Such a difference as this Moses made between the numbers of Ephraim and Manasseh, Deu 33:17.
II. This mightily displeased Saul, and made him envy David, Sa1 18:8, Sa1 18:9. He ought to have considered that they referred only to this late action, and intended not to diminish any of Saul's former exploits; and that in the action now celebrated it was undeniably true that David, in killing Goliath, did in effect slay all the Philistines that were slain that day and defeated the whole army; so that they did but give David his due. It may be, he that composed the song only used a poetic liberty, and intended not any invidious comparison between Saul and David; or, if he did, it was below the great mind of a prince to take notice of such a reflection upon his personal honour, when it appeared that the glory of the public was sincerely intended. But Saul was very wroth, and presently suspected some treasonable design at the bottom of it: What can he have more but the kingdom? This made him eye David as one he was jealous of and sought advantages against (Sa1 18:9): his countenance was not towards him as it had been. Proud men cannot endure to hear any praised but themselves, and think all their honour lost that goes by themselves. It is a sign that the Spirit of God has departed from men if they be peevish in their resentment of affronts, envious and suspicious of all about them, and ill-natured in their conduct; for the wisdom from above makes us quite otherwise.
III. In his fury he aimed to kill David, Sa1 18:10, Sa1 18:11. Jealousy is the rage of a man; it made Saul outrageous against David and impatient to get him out of the way. 1. His fits of frenzy returned upon him. The very next day after he conceived malice against David the evil spirit from God, that had formerly haunted him, seized him again. Those that indulge themselves in envy and uncharitableness give place to the devil, and prepare for the re-entry of the unclean spirit, with seven others more wicked. Where envy is there is confusion. Saul pretended a religious ecstasy: He prophesied in the midst of the house, that is, he had the gestures and motions of a prophet, and humoured the thing well enough to decoy David into a snare, and that he might be fearless of any danger and off his guard; and perhaps designing, if he could but kill him, to impute it to a divine impulse and to charge it upon the spirit of prophecy with which he seemed to be animated: but really it was a hellish fury that actuated him. 2. David, though advanced to a much higher post of honour, disdained not, for his master's service, to return to his harp: He played with his hand as at other times. Let not the highest think any thing below them whereby they may do good and be serviceable to those they are obliged to. 3. He took this opportunity to aim at the death of David. A sword in a madman's hand is a dangerous thing, especially such a madman as Saul was, that was mad with malice. Yet he had a javelin or dart in his hand, which he projected, endeavouring thereby to slay David, not in a sudden passion, but deliberately: I will smite David to the wall with it, with such a desperate force did he throw it. Justly does David complain of his enemies that they hated him with a cruel hatred, Psa 25:19. No life is thought too precious to be sacrificed to malice. If a grateful sense of the great service David had done to the public could not assuage Saul's fury, yet one would think he should have allowed himself to consider the kindness David was now doing him, in relieving him, as no one else could, against the worst of troubles. Those are possessed with a devilish spirit indeed that render evil for good. Compare David, with his harp in his hand, aiming to serve Saul, and Saul, with his javelin in his hand, aiming to slay David; and observe the meekness and usefulness of God's persecuted people and the brutishness and barbarity of their persecutors. The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul, Pro 29:10. 4. David happily avoided the blow twice (namely, now, and afterwards, Pro 19:10); he did not throw the javelin at Saul again, but withdrew, not fighting but flying for his own preservation; though he had both strength and courage enough, and colour of right, to make resistance and revenge the injury, yet he did no more than secure himself, by getting out of the way of it. David, no doubt, had a watchful eye upon Saul's hand, and the javelin in it, and did as bravely in running from it as he did lately in running upon Goliath. Yet his safety must be ascribed to the watchful eye of God's providence upon him, saving his servant from the hurtful sword; and by this narrow escape it seemed he was designed for something extraordinary.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–11. Public domain.
Copy as
CassiodorusAD 585
EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 77.49
It was also through a wicked angel that the transgressor was tempted in the account of the book of Kings [Samuel], where it says “The evil spirit from God came upon Saul.” Just men, too, like Job and the apostle Paul and others of that kind were tried by the devil. It is clear that all created things are subject to the discretion or command of the Creator.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Samuel
Saul was holding a spear, etc. The people of the Jews held the power of the kingdom and exercised it against the Lord Savior; thinking that they could extinguish His faith and glory by persecuting Him, in the manner of other mortals whose praise and memory, love or hatred, often fades with their life itself. Against these He prays to the Father in the Psalms: “Do not let me become like those who go down to the pit” (Psalm 142). For as much as David, a living stone, feels and discerns, exceeds a wall, which lacks nature, life, sense, and reason; so much the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, differs from pure men, even if they are most holy. He indeed, in suitable places, is symbolized by the term stone, not just any stone in the wall, according to those to whom it is said: "You also, like living stones, are being built" (1 Peter 2). But as the chief, cornerstone, chosen, precious stone, founded in the foundation, which, bearing and protecting the whole building of the rising Church, unites circumcision and uncircumcision in unanimous peace. For it can also be understood, not inappropriately, that Saul thought he could pin David to the wall; that the Jews thought they could eradicate the name and memory of Christ and remove Him from the land of the living if they could kill or banish the apostles, the preachers of His resurrection, those who are the nearest part of His house, that is, the Church. But David could not be pinned to the wall, Christ's glory could not be diminished, nor could the impious, however much they strove, be made like those who go down to the pit; that is, buried in the tomb, neither to be resurrected before the day of judgment.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Samuel
After the next day, an evil spirit from God invaded Saul, etc. As the light of the faithful gradually increased, so did the insanity and blindness of the perfidious Jews, who, aroused by an unclean spirit in the midst of their Synagogue against the Lord, would sing the words of prophecy with a frenzied mouth, which they did not understand. But the Lord, to calm and mitigate their malice, daily reiterated through the apostles the example of His patience and suffering. For He sang to them with His own hand, when through His excellent worker of the body He said: Therefore let all the house of Israel know most certainly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts II).
Richard ChallonerAD 1781
Prophesied: Acted the prophet in a mad manner.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying 1 Samuel 18:10 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
1 Samuel 18:10 vividly portrays the escalating spiritual and psychological torment of King Saul, marking a pivotal moment where his unchecked jealousy and disobedience manifest in a violent outburst. On the day immediately following David's widespread acclaim for defeating Goliath, an evil spirit, permitted by God, afflicted Saul, causing him to "prophesy" in a frenzied, uncontrolled manner within his own house. While David, true to his customary role, played his lyre to soothe the troubled king, Saul, consumed by rage, held a javelin, poised to strike, signifying the terrifying onset of his overt attempts on David's life.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative in 1 Samuel 18:10 employs several powerful literary devices to heighten its dramatic impact and convey its theological message. Juxtaposition is prominently used, contrasting Saul's frenzied, tormented state and murderous intent with David's calm, customary act of playing the lyre. This stark contrast highlights their diverging spiritual conditions and characters, emphasizing David's faithfulness against Saul's rebellion. The presence of the javelin in Saul's hand serves as potent Symbolism, representing not only Saul's murderous intent but also the tragic perversion of his royal authority, which should protect his subjects but now seeks to destroy God's chosen one. This scene also functions as clear Foreshadowing, signaling the beginning of Saul's active and prolonged persecution of David, which will define their relationship for years to come. Furthermore, the phrase "evil spirit from God" can be seen as a form of Divine Irony, where God, who once empowered Saul, now uses an affliction to bring about his downfall and clear the way for David, His chosen king, demonstrating God's ultimate sovereignty even in judgment.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Samuel 18:10 profoundly illustrates the severe and destructive consequences of spiritual rebellion and unchecked sin, particularly the corrosive power of jealousy and envy. Saul's persistent disobedience led to the withdrawal of God's empowering Spirit and the subsequent torment by an "evil spirit," demonstrating that God's judgment can manifest in profound psychological and spiritual affliction. This passage powerfully reinforces the theme of divine sovereignty, showing that even negative events are under God's ultimate control and serve His purposes, in this case, clearing the path for David's rightful ascent to the throne. It also highlights the stark contrast between a king who has forfeited God's favor through rebellion and the one who remains faithful and trusting in God, even in the face of mortal danger and irrational hostility.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This chilling account of Saul's descent into madness and murderous rage serves as a profound cautionary tale for all believers. It reveals the destructive power of unchecked jealousy, envy, and an unrepentant heart. Saul's refusal to acknowledge his sin, his growing bitterness, and his self-centeredness created an open door for spiritual torment and irrational, violent behavior. We are reminded that persistent disobedience, unaddressed sin, and a refusal to submit to God's will can lead to profound spiritual and psychological distress, alienating us from God's peace and opening us to destructive influences. Conversely, David's calm faithfulness and unwavering composure in the face of extreme danger offer a powerful example of trusting God's protection and remaining steadfast in our calling, even when those in authority act irrationally or hostilely. Our response to adversity, our willingness to serve even those who wish us harm, and the character we display under pressure reveal the true state of our hearts and our reliance on God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the evil spirit from God" truly mean?
Answer: This phrase does not imply that God is the author of evil, but rather that He is sovereign over all things, including spirits, and can use them as instruments of His divine purpose or judgment. In Saul's case, after the Spirit of the Lord departed from him due to his persistent disobedience and rebellion (1 Samuel 16:14), God permitted or sent a spirit that caused him distress, torment, and agitation. This was a direct consequence of Saul's sin and a means by which God continued to work out His plan, ultimately leading to David's ascent to the throne. It highlights God's absolute control and His use of various means, even afflictions, to achieve His righteous ends and demonstrate His justice.
What kind of "prophesying" was Saul doing in this context?
Answer: Given the context of the "evil spirit" tormenting Saul, his "prophesying" (Hebrew: vayyitnabbe') here does not refer to speaking divine revelation or inspired prophecy in the traditional sense. Instead, it describes a frenzied, ecstatic, or even mad outburst, indicative of his disturbed mental and spiritual state. It suggests an agitated, uncontrollable behavior, possibly involving incoherent speech, unusual physical movements, or a state of delirium, rather than a divinely inspired message. This contrasts sharply with earlier instances where the Spirit of the Lord came upon him for good, as in 1 Samuel 10:10, highlighting his spiritual decline.
Why did David continue to play for Saul despite the obvious danger?
Answer: David's continued service, even with a javelin in Saul's hand, demonstrates his remarkable faithfulness, courage, and profound trust in God. He was fulfilling his assigned role to soothe the king, as he had done previously (1 Samuel 16:23). David likely understood that his life was ultimately in God's hands and that his primary duty was to serve the anointed king, regardless of Saul's erratic and hostile behavior. This unwavering commitment to his responsibilities, even in the face of mortal threat, is a testament to David's character, his humility, and his deep reliance on God's protection and timing.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
1 Samuel 18:10, with its depiction of a king tormented by an evil spirit and seeking to destroy the one anointed to replace him, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate conflict between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God, personified in Christ. Saul's failed kingship, marked by spiritual oppression, paranoia, and murderous intent, stands in stark contrast to the perfect and righteous reign of Jesus Christ. While David's music brought only temporary, limited relief to Saul's torment, Jesus, the true Son of David, possesses ultimate and inherent authority over all evil spirits. He casts out demons with a mere word (Matthew 8:16), delivers the oppressed from spiritual bondage (Luke 4:18), and ultimately triumphs over Satan and all his works through His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15). Saul's javelin, aimed at David, symbolizes the world's hostility towards God's anointed, a hostility that culminated in the crucifixion of Christ, the ultimate act of human rebellion against divine authority. Yet, just as God preserved David for his kingly destiny, He raised Jesus from the dead, establishing Him as Lord and Christ, the deliverer who sets us truly free from the power of sin, spiritual darkness, and death itself (John 8:36).