1 Samuel Chapter 19
1 Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly delighted in David.
2 Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself.
3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you."
4 Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Don't let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good towards you;
5 for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?"
6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."
7 Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.
8 There was war again. David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
9 An evil spirit from the LORD was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
10 Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.
11 Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."
12 So Michal let David down through the window. He went away, fled, and escaped.
13 Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with clothes.
14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
15 Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
16 When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' "
18 Now David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.
19 Saul was told, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."
20 Saul sent messengers to seize David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, God's Spirit came on Saul's messengers, and they also prophesied.
21 When Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" One said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."
23 He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then God's Spirit came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also amongst the prophets?"
Footnotes
- Verse 13 (Teraphim)
- teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.
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1 Samuel Chapter 19 Guide
Saul’s enmity toward David grew, while the friendship between Jonathan and David increased. Saul did all in his power to set both Jonathan and the people against David. He even went so far as to charge them to slay David.
For a while he was persuaded by Jonathan to cease his unholy persecution of David. However, the underlying enmity quickly broke out again, and this time in a direct attempt on David's life.
These were indeed days of bitter testing for the young man anointed to the kingly office, and it was perfectly natural that in the stress and strain of such experiences he should flee to Samuel.
Here he was protected by direct divine intervention of the most remarkable kind. Three companies of Saul's messengers, and at last Sad himself, journeying with the express purpose of capturing David, were taken possession of by the Spirit of God and compelled to prophesy.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
1 Samuel Chapter 19 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Jonathan reconciles his father to David, Saul again tries to slay him. -- (1-10)
- David flees to Samuel. -- (11-24)
Verses 1-10
How forcible are right words! Saul was, for a time, convinced of the unreasonableness of his enmity to David; but he continued his malice against David. So incurable is the hatred of the seed of the serpent against that of the woman; so deceitful and desperately wicked is the heart of man without the grace of God, Jer 17:9.
Verses 11-24
Michal's stratagem to gain time till David got to a distance was allowable, but her falsehood had not even the plea of necessity to excuse it, and manifests that she was not influenced by the same spirit of piety which had dictated Jonathan's language to Saul. In flying to Samuel, David made God his refuge. Samuel, as a prophet, was best able to advise him what to do in this day of distress. He met with little rest or satisfaction in Saul's court, therefore went to seek it in Samuel's church. What little pleasure is to be had in this world, those have who live a life of communion with God; to that David returned in the time of trouble. So impatient was Saul after David's blood, so restless against him, that although baffled by one providence after another, he could not see that David was under the special protection of God. And when God will take this way to protect David, even Saul prophesies. Many have great gifts, yet no grace; they may prophesy in Christ's name, yet are disowned by him. Let us daily seek for renewing grace, which shall be in us as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Let us cleave to truth and holiness with full purpose of heart. In every danger and trouble, let us seek protection, comfort, and direction in God's ordinances.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.