Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 19

Verse 1

19:1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should {a} kill David.

(a) Before Saul sought David’s life secretly, but now his hypocrisy grows to open cruelty.

Verse 3

19:3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou {b} [art], and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

(b) That I may warn you what to do.

Verse 6

19:6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul {c} sware, [As] the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.

(c) Whatever he pretended outwardly, yet his heart was full of malice.

Verse 9

19:9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David {d} played with [his] hand.

(d) He played on his harp to appease the rage of the evil spirit, 1 Samuel 16:23.

Verse 12

19:12 So Michal {e} let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

(e) Thus God moved both the son and daughter of this tyrant to favour David against their father.

Verse 15

19:15 And Saul sent the messengers [again] to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the {f} bed, that I may slay him.

(f) Behold, how the tyrants to accomplish their rage, neither regard oath nor friendship, God nor man.

Verse 18

19:18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in {g} Naioth.

(g) Naioth was a school where the word of God was studied, near Ramah.

Verse 20

19:20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing {h} [as] appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also {i} prophesied.

(h) Being their chief instructor.

(i) Changed their minds and praised God.

Verse 23

19:23 And he {k} went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

(k) With a mind to persecute them.

Verse 24

19:24 And he stripped off his {l} clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay {m} down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?

(l) His kingly apparel.

(m) He humbled himself as others did.