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

8Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand. 11Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice. 12Now Saul was afraid of David, for the Lord was with him but had departed from 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

• Now it cameהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• about on the nextמׇחֳרָתmochŏrâth mochŏrâthâm · morrowH4283
• an evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• from Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• cameצָלַחtsâlach tsâlêach · to rushH6743
• upon Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• he ravedנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• while Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• was playingנָגַןnâgan · to playH5059
• with his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• as usualיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• a spearחֲנִיתchănîyth · spearH2595

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 18:10

• 1 Samuel 16:14Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him.
• 1 Samuel 19:9Now there was an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand.
• 1 Samuel 26:19Now therefore, please let my lord the king listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, cursed are they before the Lord, for they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
• Jeremiah 29:26“The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar,
• 1 Samuel 19:24He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
• 1 Kings 18:29When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.
• 1 Kings 22:12All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
• Jeremiah 28:2“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
• Zechariah 13:2“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.
• Acts 16:16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
• 1 Samuel 16:16Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will 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

• 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