1 Samuel 18:10

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

8Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. “To David they credit tens of thousands,” he said, “but to me they credit ⌞only⌟ a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom.” 9From that day on Saul kept an eye on David. The next day an evil spirit from God seized Saul. He began to prophesy in his house while David strummed a tune on the lyre as he did every day. Now, Saul had a spear in his hand. 11He raised the spear and thought, “I’ll nail David to the wall.” But David got away from him twice. 12Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul.

1 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass on the morrowמׇחֳרָתmochŏrâth mochŏrâthâm · morrowH4283
• that the evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• from Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• cameצָלַחtsâlach tsâlêach · to rushH6743
• upon Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• and he prophesiedנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• and Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• playedנָגַןnâgan · to playH5059
• with his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• as at other timesיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• a javelinחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 18:10

• 1 Samuel 16:14Now, the Lord’s Spirit had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
• 1 Samuel 19:9Then an evil spirit from the Lord came over Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was strumming a tune.
• 1 Samuel 26:19Your Majesty, please listen to my words. If the Lord has turned you against me, let him be satisfied with an offering. But if mere mortals ⌞have turned you against me⌟, let them be cursed by the Lord. They have prevented me from having a share of the Lord’s inheritance. ‘Go and serve other gods,’ they tell me.
• Jeremiah 29:26The Lord made you priest instead of Jehoiada so that there would be officials for the Lord’s temple. You should put any lunatic who acts like a prophet in prison and in shackles.
• 1 Samuel 19:24He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel and lay there naked all day and all night. This is where the saying, “Is Saul one of the prophets?” came from.
• 1 Kings 18:29In the afternoon they continued to rant and rave until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no sound, no answer, no attention given to them.
• 1 Kings 22:12All the other prophets made the same prophecy. They said, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead, and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
• Jeremiah 28:2“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
• Zechariah 13:2“On that day,” declares the Lord of Armies, “I will wipe away the names of the idols from the land. They will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the ⌞false⌟ prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.
• Acts 16:16One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11That’s why God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe a lie.
• 1 Samuel 16:16Your Majesty, why don’t you command us to look for a man who can play the lyre well? When the evil spirit from God comes to you, he’ll strum a tune, and you’ll feel better.”

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

• Dart
• David
• Demons
• Holy Spirit
• Insanity
• Jealousy
• Malice
• Prudence
• Spear

In the dictionaries

• David
• God
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Evil Spirit
• Ascribe
• Avoid
• Harp
• Javelin

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