Bible Strands
1 Samuel 18:10
The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes a moment shortly after Saul’s jealousy intensifies, when Saul is indoors holding a spear while David plays his harp as usual.
The words — The text highlights רוּחַ רָעָה (ruach ra'ah), literally “a spirit of distress/evil,” which the verb תִּצְלַח (titzlach) describes as rushing upon Saul.
The thread — The same type of troubling spirit appears in 1 Samuel 19:9, while the pattern of God permitting a delusion to harden opposition parallels 2 Thessalonians 2:11.
Why it lands — The passage records Saul’s violent loss of control and his attempt to pin David to the wall, demanding the reader observe how divine allowance intersects with unchecked human jealousy.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
Cross-references
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,
- 1 Samuel 19:9 But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
- 1 Kings 18:29 Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.
- 1 Samuel 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
- 1 Samuel 16:23 And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
- 1 Kings 22:20 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
- Acts 16:16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.
- 1 Samuel 19:23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
- 1 Kings 22:12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”