1 Samuel 19: Saul tries to kill David, and David escapes to Samuel at Ramah
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What happens?
Saul tells Jonathan and all his servants to kill David, but Jonathan speaks up for David, and Saul swears by Yahweh that David will not be put to death. After a new war with the Philistines, an evil spirit from Yahweh is on Saul and he tries to pin David to the wall with his spear; that night Michal lets David down through a window and puts the teraphim in his bed to fool Saul's messengers. David flees to Samuel at Ramah. Saul sends messengers three times, and each time they prophesy; then Saul goes himself, God's Spirit comes on him, and he prophesies, strips off his clothes and lies naked before Samuel all that day and all that night.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. Jonathan speaks to David in verses 2 and 3 and to Saul in verses 4 and 5. Saul swears by Yahweh in verse 6, gives an order in verse 15, speaks to Michal in verse 17 and asks for Samuel and David in verse 22. Michal speaks in verses 11, 14 and 17; in verse 17 she gives words she says David said to her. Saul is told where David is in verses 19 and 22, and verse 24 gives the saying people say. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.
In plain English: Saul spoke to his son Jonathan and to all his servants about killing David (this Bible: that they should kill David). But Saul's son Jonathan was very fond of David (this Bible: greatly delighted in David).
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2Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, live in a secret place, and hide yourself.
In plain English: Jonathan told David, "My father Saul is trying to kill you. So please be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a hidden place and hide yourself.
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3I 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.”
In plain English: I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. If I find out anything (literally: I will see what), I will tell you."
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4Jonathan 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 toward you;
In plain English: Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. He said to him, "The king should not sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and what he has done has been very good for you.
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5for he put his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh 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?”
In plain English: For he took his life in his hands (literally: put his life in his palm) and killed the Philistine, and Yahweh brought about a great rescue (this Bible: victory) for all Israel. You saw it and were glad. So why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?"
Good to know: Jephthah says the same of himself in : "I put my life in my hand". It means he risked his life. "Victory" is teshu'ah, which the dictionary gives as "rescue".
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6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.”
In plain English: Saul listened to Jonathan, and Saul swore, "As surely as Yahweh lives, he will not be put to death."
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7Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.
In plain English: Jonathan called David and told him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David served him as before (literally: was before him as yesterday and the day before).
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8There was war again. David went out and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
In plain English: There was war again. David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them down with a great slaughter, and they ran away from him.
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9An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing music with his hand.
In plain English: An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing music (literally: playing with his hand).
Good to know: These are the words of : an evil spirit from Yahweh (see the note there). In the spirit is "from God", and there too David was playing and Saul had his spear in his hand.
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10Saul 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.
In plain English: Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David slipped away from Saul, and Saul drove the spear into the wall. David ran away and escaped that night.
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11Saul 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.”
In plain English: Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you do not escape with your life (this Bible: save your life) tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."
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12So Michal let David down through the window. He went away, fled, and escaped.
In plain English: So Michal let David down through the window, and he went away, ran and escaped.
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13Michal took the teraphim and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with clothes.
In plain English: Michal took the teraphim (a household idol) and laid it in the bed. She put a cover of goats' hair (this Bible: a pillow) at its head and covered it with a garment (this Bible: clothes).
The Hebrew word: "Teraphim" is teraphim, which the dictionary gives as "(singular or plural) a family idol". So it may be one image or more: this Bible says "it", and the old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "images". Rachel stole her father's teraphim in , Micah made teraphim in , and Samuel told Saul "stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim" in . The text does not say whose these teraphim were.
Good to know: "Pillow" is kebir, which the dictionary gives as "a matrass (of intertwined materials)". It is in only 2 verses: here and verse 16. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "the liver of a goat" instead.
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14When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
In plain English: When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
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15Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”
In plain English: Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, so that I can kill him."
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16When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head.
In plain English: When the messengers came in, there was the teraphim in the bed, with the goats' hair cover at its head.
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17Saul 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?’”
In plain English: Saul said to Michal, "Why have you tricked me (this Bible: 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?'"
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18Now 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.
In plain English: So David ran away and escaped. He came to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth.
Good to know: Ramah was Samuel's home (). The text does not explain the name Naioth, and the dictionary gives it only as "a place in Palestine".
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19Saul was told, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
In plain English: Saul was told, "Look, David is at Naioth in Ramah."
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20Saul 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.
In plain English: Saul sent messengers to seize David. When they saw the group (this Bible: company) of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing as their leader (literally: standing, set over them), God's Spirit (or: spirit) came on Saul's messengers, and they prophesied too.
The Hebrew word: "Company" is lahaqah, which the dictionary gives as "an assembly". It is in only this verse. When Saul first met prophets, in and , the text called them "a band of prophets", with a different word.
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21When Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
In plain English: When Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied too. Saul sent messengers a third time, and they prophesied too.
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22Then 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.”
In plain English: Then he went to Ramah himself and came to the great cistern (this Bible: well) at Secu. He asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" Someone said, "Look, they are at Naioth in Ramah."
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23He 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.
In plain English: He went there, to Naioth in Ramah. God's Spirit (or: spirit) came on him too, and he kept prophesying as he walked (literally: he went, going and prophesying) until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
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24He also stripped off his clothes. He also prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
In plain English: He too took off his clothes, and he too prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay (literally: fell) naked all that day and all that night. That is why people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
The Hebrew word: "Naked" is arom, which the dictionary gives as "nude, either partially or totally". So the words can mean he had no clothes on at all, or that he had taken off his outer clothes. The text says he "stripped off his clothes", prophesied before Samuel, and "lay down naked all that day and all that night".
Good to know: The saying "Is Saul also among the prophets?" is also given in and , after Saul first prophesied with a band of prophets. Both places say the saying came from what happened there. The text gives both and does not explain more.
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