1 Samuel 16:16

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. ¹⁴ Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁴ But the Lord 's Spirit had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. ¹⁴ But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁴ Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled 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 the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. ¹⁴ And so the Spirit of the Lord yede awei fro Saul, and a wickid spirit of the Lord trauelide Saul.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

before thee: 1 Samuel 16:21, 1 Samuel 16:22, Genesis 41:46, 1 Kings 10:8

play: 1 Samuel 16:23, 1 Samuel 10:5, 2 Kings 3:15

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 18:10 - played 2 Samuel 6:5 - David

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let our Lord now command thy servants which are before thee,.... Meaning either themselves, or some of a more inferior rank, who were in some post and office at court, waiters there, such as yeomen of the guards:

to seek out a man who is a cunning player on the harp: a musical instrument much in use in those days:

and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee; when in a melancholy mood, and Satan takes the advantage of it to distress and terrify, to spread the gloom, and stir up evil passions, and promote distraction and confusion:

that he shall play with his hand: upon the harp, that being not an instrument of wind, but of hand music:

and thou shalt be well: music being a means of cheering the spirits, and removing melancholy and gloomy apprehensions of things, and so of restoring to better health of body and disposition of mind; and that music has such an effect on the bodies and minds of men is certain from observation and experience in all ages. Music has been found to be medicine to various diseases, not only for the curing of the bite of vipers, and of the tarantula, but for easing the pains of the sciatica, and for helping persons labouring under the disorders of the frenzy k; and Pythagoras used to compose the mind, and remove the perturbations of it, by the use of the harp l, the thing here advised to.

k A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 4. c. 13. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 17. Vid. Philostrat. Vit. Apollon. Tyan. l. 5. c. 7. l Seneca de Ira, l. 3. c. 9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The medicinal effects of music on the mind and body, especially as appeasing anger, and soothing and pacifying a troubled spirit, are well known. It is deeply interesting to have the youthful David thus brought before us, as using music for its highest purpose, that of turning the soul to the harmony of peace and love. We may infer that some of his Psalms, such e. g. as Psalms 23:1-6, were already composed.