1 Samuel 16:14

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ But the Spirite of the Lorde departed from Saul, and an euill spirite sent of the Lorde vexed him. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Sha'ul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁴ The Lord 's Spirit left Saul. Then the Lord sent an evil spirit to Saul that caused him much trouble. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. ¹⁴Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and terrified him.¹⁴ Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. ¹⁴ Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him. ¹⁴ The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was terrifying him. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of Adonai had left Sha'ul; instead, an evil spirit from Adonai would suddenly come over him. ¹⁴ Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Spirit: 1 Samuel 11:6, 1 Samuel 18:12, 1 Samuel 28:15, Judges 16:29, Psalms 51:11, Hosea 9:12

evil spirit: The evil spirit was either sent immediately from the Lord, or permitted to come; but whether this was a diabolic possession, or a mere mental malady, is not agreed: it seems to have partaken of both. That Saul had fallen into a deep melancholy, there is little doubt; and that an evil spirit might work more effectually on such a state of mind, there can be little question. His malady appears to have been of a mixed kind, natural and diabolical: there is too much of apparent nature in it to permit us to believe it was all spiritual; and there is too much of apparently supernatural influence, to suffer us to believe it was all natural. 1 Samuel 18:10, 1 Samuel 19:9, 1 Samuel 19:10, Judges 9:23, 1 Kings 22:22, Acts 19:15, Acts 19:16

troubled: or, terrified

Reciprocal: Numbers 27:18 - a man Deuteronomy 28:28 - General Judges 6:34 - the Spirit Judges 16:20 - the Lord 1 Samuel 16:23 - the evil spirit 1 Samuel 17:31 - sent for him 1 Samuel 26:19 - stirred 2 Samuel 7:15 - as I took Psalms 36:3 - he hath

Cross-References

Genesis 14:7
And they returned and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the countrey of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelled in Hazezon-tamar.

Genesis 14:7
And they returned, and came to En-dina, which is Rakim (Kadesh) and they smote all the princes of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who dwelt in En-gad.

Genesis 14:7
They returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and struck all the country of the `Amaleki, and also the Amori, that lived in Hatzatzon-Tamar.

Genesis 14:7
Then King Kedorlaomer turned back, went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and defeated the Amalekites. He also defeated the Amorites living in Hazezon Tamar.

Genesis 14:7
Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.

Genesis 14:7
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar.

Genesis 14:7
Then they came back to En-mishpat (which is Kadesh), making waste all the country of the Amalekites and of the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.

Genesis 14:7
They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.

Genesis 14:7
Next they turned back, came to ‘Ein-Mishpat (which is the same as Kadesh), and defeated all the country of the ‘Amaleki, and also the Emori, who lived in Hatzatzon-Tamar.

Genesis 14:7
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelt at Hazazon-Tamar.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,.... As a spirit of prophecy as at first, as a spirit of wisdom and prudence in civil government, and as a spirit of fortitude and courage, as the Targum:

and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him; the reverse of the former, which by the permission of God, and as a punishment to him for his sins, came upon him; he seemed to be a demoniac, as Josephus represents i him, as if possessed with the devil; by whom he was almost suffocated and strangled, as well as was distracted in his counsels, and became weak and foolish; lost all courage and greatness of mind, was timorous and fearful, and alarmed by everything, and was full of envy, suspicion, rage, and despair.

i Antiqu. l. 6. c. 8. sect. 2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 16:14. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul — He was thrown into such a state of mind by the judgments of God, as to be deprived of any regal qualities which he before possessed. God seems to have taken what gifts he had, and given them to David; and then the evil spirit came upon Saul; for what God fills not, the devil will.

An evil spirit from the Lord — The evil spirit was either immediately sent from the Lord, or permitted to come. Whether this was a diabolic possession, or a mere mental malady, the learned are not agreed; it seems to have partaken of both. That Saul had fallen into a deep melancholy, there is little doubt; that the devil might work more effectually on such a state of mind, there can be but little question. There is an old proverb, Satan delights to fish in troubled waters; and Saul's situation of mind gave him many advantages.

The theory of Dr. Scheuchzer, in his Physica Sacra, on the malady of Saul, is allowed to be very ingenious. It is in substance as follows: Health consists in a moderate tension of the fibres, which permits all the fluids to have an entire freedom of circulation, and to the spirits, that of diffusing themselves through all the limbs; on the contrary, disease consists in tensions of the fibres morbidly weak or morbidly strong. This latter seems to have been the case of Saul; and as the undulations of the air which convey sound communicate themselves to and through the most solid bodies, it is easy to suppose that by the modulations of music all the fibres of his body, which were under the influence of the morbidly increased tension, might be so relaxed as to be brought back into their natural state, and thus permit the re-establishment of a free and gentle circulation of the fluids, and consequently of the animal spirits, and thus induce calmness and tranquillity of mind. I believe this theory to be correct, and I should find no difficulty to amplify and to illustrate the subject. Even a skilful playing upon the harp was one means to bring a disordered state of the nervous and fibrous system into a capacity of affording such uninterrupted tranquillity to the mind as to render it capable of receiving the prophetic influence; see the case of Elisha, 2 Kings 3:14-15. It has been said: -

"Music hath charms to sooth the savage breast."

This has been literally proved: a musician was brought to play on his instrument while they were feeding a savage lion in the tower of London; the beast immediately left his food, came towards the grating of his den, and began to move in such a way as to show himself affected by the music. The musician ceased, and the lion returned to his food; he recommenced, and the lion left off his prey, and was so affected as to seem by his motions to dance with delight. This was repeatedly tried, and the effects were still the same.