American Standard Version
1 Samuel 18:10
10And 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;
1 Samuel 18:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand
- English Standard Version (ESV)The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand.
Context of 1 Samuel 18:10
8And Saul was very wroth, and this 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? 9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 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; 11and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul.
Read all of 1 Samuel 181 Samuel 18:10 word by word
וַיְהִ֣י מִֽמָּחֳרָ֗ת וַתִּצְלַ֣ח רוּחַ֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים׀ רָעָ֤ה׀ אֶל־שָׁאוּל֙ וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֣א בְתוֹךְ־הַבַּ֔יִת וְדָוִ֛ד מְנַגֵּ֥ן בְּיָד֖וֹ כְּי֣וֹם׀ בְּי֑וֹם וְהַחֲנִ֖ית בְּיַד־שָׁאֽוּל׃Read the interlinear
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
- spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- prophesiedנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
- midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- playedנָגַןnâgan · to playH5059
- handיָדyâd · handH3027
- dayיוֹםyôm · day: dailyH3117
- spearחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 18:10
- 1 Samuel 16:14Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.
- 1 Samuel 19:9And 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.
- 1 Samuel 26:19Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Jehovah that hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah; for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods.
- Jeremiah 29:26Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in shackles.
- 1 Samuel 19:24And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?
- 1 Kings 18:29And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening oblation; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
- 1 Kings 22:12And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.
- Jeremiah 28:2Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
- Zechariah 13:2And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
- Acts 16:16And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie:
- 1 Samuel 16:16Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 18:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10The evil spirit from God - See on 1 Samuel 16:14; (note), etc. He prophesied in the midst of the house - He was beside himself; made prayers, supplications, and incoherent imprecations: "God preserve my life," "Destroy my enemies," or such like prayers, might frequently escape from him in his agitated state. The Arabic intimates that he was actually possessed by an evil spirit, and that through it he uttered a sort of demoniacal predictions. But let us…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10He prophesied - This, as the effect of the evil spirit coming upon him, is singular as regards Saul, but is borne out by what we read in 1 Kings 22:22. (Compare Acts 16:16-18; Acts 19:15; 1 John 4:1-3). It is impossible to give the sense of “raving” to the word “prophesied,” as though a merely natural state of frenzy were intended. The “prophesying” here was as directly the effect of the coming of the evil spirit upon Saul, as the “prophesying” in 1…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 David's troubles not only immediately follow his triumphs, but arise from them; such is the vanity of that which seems greatest in this world. It is a sign that the Spirit of God is departed from men, if, like Saul, they are peevish, envious, suspicious, and ill-natured. 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 sweetness and usefulness of God's…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-15Saul came to view David as a threat rather than an ally and would do anything to get rid of him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul--This rankling thought brought on a sudden paroxysm of his mental malady. he prophesied--The term denotes one under the influence either of a good or a bad spirit. In the present it is used to express that Saul was in a frenzy. David, perceiving the symptoms, hastened, by the soothing strains of his harp, to allay the stormy agitation of the royal mind. But before its mollifying influence…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 18:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries