1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16

Henry writes. In David, by contrast, the Spirit comes both to empower and to save, for his later conduct demonstrates that he is a true believer. Second, the “distressing spirit” is the flip side of God’s judgment against Saul. God gives this evil spirit greater-than-usual liberty to torment Saul. “The devil, by the divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by means of the corrupt humors of his body and passions of his mind,” Henry says. Saul’s servants are able to diagnose their master’s malady as an evil spirit. As a remedy, they suggest Saul hire a skillful harpist who can play soothing music when the spirit is at work. This is nothing more than a Band-Aid—Saul needs heart surgery, deep, true repentance. Not surprisingly, Saul prefers the harpist idea. And one of the servants knows the perfect man—David, who already is gaining a reputation as a musician, a warrior, one who is “ ‘prudent in speech,’ ” and a handsome man. Plus, the servant says, “ ‘The Lord is with him.’ ” The blessing of God is manifesting itself in David’s life. And so, in a great irony, Saul asks that Jesse allow David to come to the court, and Jesse sends him with a present for Saul. Thus, the newly anointed king-to-be ministers to the rejected king, and he is able (by God’s grace) to provide him some relief from his torments. The grateful Saul then makes David his armor bearer and requests that he remain at the palace, for he “loves him greatly.” Coram Deo What a strange assignment God gave David, to minister to the man he had been anointed to replace.Surely there were awkward moments. And yet, we never find David complaining about God’s purposes or timetable. In like manner, we should rest in God, striving to live for Him and trusting Him to work out the details of our lives. Amani God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. — 2 Timothy 1:7 Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:14-23 Amani, which means “peace” in Swahili, is the name of a Labrador retriever pup that has some special friends. Amani lives with two young cheetahs at the Dallas Zoo. Zoologists placed the animals together so the cheetahs could learn Amani’s relaxed ways. Since dogs are generally at ease in public settings, the experts predict that Amani will be a “calming influence” in the cheetahs’ lives as they grow up together. David was a soothing influence in King Saul’s life when a “distressing spirit” troubled him (1 Sam. 16:14). When Saul’s servants learned of his problem, they thought music might ease his affliction. One servant summoned David, who was a skilled harpist. Whenever the king became troubled, David would play the harp. “Then Saul would become refreshed and well” (v.23). We’re grateful, Father, for the peace that You offer for our hearts. Nothing has the power to take that away. Thank You that Your peace has come to stay. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” —Jesus Walter Kaiser - go to page 211 in Hard Sayings of the Bible for discussion of the question - 1 Samuel 16:14 An Evil Spirit from the Lord? Just as the prophet Samuel anointed David as the next king, King Saul became bereft of the Spirit of God and fell into ugly bouts of melancholia, which were attributed to an evil spirit sent from the Lord. The Spirit of God had overwhelmed Saul when he had assumed the role of king over the land (1 Sam 10:6, 10; 11:6). Exactly what the Spirit’s presence with Saul entailed is not explained, but it seems to have included the gift of government, the gift of wisdom and prudence in civil matters, and a spirit of fortitude and courage. These gifts can be extrapolated from the evidence that after Saul was anointed king, he immediately shed his previous shyness and reticence to be in the public eye. It is obvious that Saul did not have a natural aptitude for governing, for if he had, why did he hide among the baggage when he knew already what the outcome would be? But when the Spirit of God came upon him in connection with the threatened mutilation of the citizens of Jabesh Gilead (1 Sam 11), and Saul sent out word that all able-bodied men were to report immediately for battle, the citizens of Israel were so startled that this had come from the likes of Saul that they showed up in force. God had suddenly gifted him with the “Spirit of God” (1 Sam 11:6), and Saul was a great leader for twenty years (1 Sam 14:47–48). But all of this was lost as suddenly as it had been gained—the Spirit had removed his gift of government. But what was the evil spirit mentioned here and in 1 Samuel 18:10 and 19:9? The ancient historian Josephus explained it as follows: “But as for Saul, some strange and demonical disorders came upon him, and brought upon him such suffocations as were ready to choke him” (Antiquities 6.8.2). Keil and Delitzsch likewise attributed Saul’s problem to demon possession. They specified that this was not merely an inward feeling of depression at the rejection announced to him, … but a higher evil power, which took possession of him, and not only deprived him of his peace of mind, but stirred up the feelings, ideas, imagination, and thoughts of his soul to such an extent that at times it drove him even into madness. This demon is called “an evil spirit [coming] from Jehovah” because Jehovah sent it as a punishment. A second suggestion is that this evil spirit was a messenger, by analogy with the situation in 1 Kings 22:20–23. This unspecified messenger did his work by the permission of God. A third suggestion is that this evil spirit was a “spirit of discontent” created in Saul’s heart by God because of his continued disobedience. Whatever the malady was, and whatever its source, one of the temporary cures for its torments was music. David’s harp-playing would soothe Saul’s frenzied condition, so that he would once again gain control of his emotions and actions (1 Sam 16:14–23). All this happened by the permission of God rather than as a result of his directive will, for God cannot be the author of anything evil. But the exact source of Saul’s torment cannot be determined with any degree of certitude. The Lord may well have used a messenger, or even just an annoying sense of disquietude and discontent. Yet if Saul really was a believer—and I think there are enough evidences to affirm that he was—then it is difficult to see how he could have been possessed by a demon. Whether believers can be possessed by demons, however, is still being debated by theologians. Gleason Archer - go to page 183 in The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties for the discussion of the topic - First Samuel 18:10 says that an evil spirit from God came on King Saul. How can this be explained if only good comes from God? It is not quite accurate to say that only good comes from God. While it is true that God’s original creation was good (Gen. 1:31) and that God Himself is not tempted by evil, nor does He tempt (in the sense of attracting or enticing) any man to evil (James 1:13), nevertheless it remains true that genuine goodness in a moral God requires that a real difference be made between good and evil. As the ordainer and preserver of the moral order, it is absolutely necessary for God to punish sin, no matter how much love and compassion He may feel toward the sinner. In Isaiah 45:7 we read, “[I am] the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these” (NASB). The word rendered by NASB as “calamity” is the Hebrew rāʿ, which has the basic meaning of “evil” (either moral evil or misfortune evil). Here it points to the painful, harmful consequences that followed the commission of sin. Notice how James goes on to indicate how this process works: “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14–15, NASB). In Saul’s case, he had knowingly flouted the law of God—first, by performing priestly sacrifice at the Lord’s altar contrary to the divine command (1 Sam. 13:12–13), and, second, by sparing King Agag and some of the cattle of the Amalekites after he had been ordered to put them all to death (1 Sam. 15:20–23). Moreover in 1 Samuel 18:8 it is stated that Saul became insanely jealous of young David because of the public praise he had received for his prowess in slaying Goliath and the Philistines. By these successive acts of rebellion against the will and law of God, King Saul left himself wide open to satanic influence—just as Judas Iscariot did after he had determined to betray the Lord Jesus (cf. John 13:2). Insofar as God has established the spiritual laws of cause and effect, it is accurate to say that Saul’s disobedience cut him off from the guidance and communion of the Holy Spirit that he had formerly enjoyed and left him a prey to a malign spirit of depression and intense jealousy that drove him increasingly to irrational paranoia. Although he was doubtless acting as an agent of Satan, Saul’s evil bent was by the permission and plan of God. We must realize that in the last analysis all penal consequences for sin come from God, as the Author of the moral law and the one who always does what is right (Gen. 18:25). QUESTION - Why did God send an evil spirit to torment King Saul? ANSWER - First Samuel 16:14 says, “The Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.” This is also mentioned in 1 Samuel 16:15–16, 23; 18:10; 19:9. Why did God let an evil spirit torment Saul? In what way was the evil spirit “from” the Lord? First, the evil spirit was “from” the Lord in that it was allowed by God to harass Saul. Ultimately, all created things are under God’s control. It is likely that this evil spirit was part of God’s judgment upon Saul for his disobedience. Saul had directly disobeyed God on two occasions (1 Samuel 13:1–14; 15:1–35). Therefore, God removed His Spirit from Saul and allowed an evil spirit to torment him. Likely, Satan and the demons had always wanted to attack Saul; God was now simply giving them permission to do so. Second, the evil spirit was used to bring David into the life of Saul. This account is recorded immediately following David’s anointing as the future king of Israel. The reader would be wondering how a shepherd boy would become king. First Samuel 16 reveals the first step in this journey. When the king’s servants saw the torment Saul was enduring, they suggested, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better” (1 Samuel 16:15–16). One of the king’s servants referred David to the king, describing the youth as a great harp player, among other things (verse 18). Saul called David to come and found him to be a great comfort: “David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, ‘Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.’ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (1 Samuel 16:21–23). It is important to note that this evil spirit that troubled Saul was only temporary. The final verse notes that the evil spirit came on multiple occasions to bother Saul, but also it departed from him. A related question is, does God send evil spirits to torment people today? There are examples of individuals in the New Testament being turned over to Satan or demons for punishment. God allowed Ananias and Sapphira to be filled with the spirit of Satan as a warning and example to the early church (Acts 5:1–11). A man in the Corinthian church was committing incest and adultery, and God commanded the leaders to “hand him over to Satan” to destroy his sinful nature and save his soul (1 Corinthians 5:1–5). God allowed a messenger of Satan to torment the apostle Paul in order to teach him to rely on God’s grace and power and not become conceited because of the tremendous abundance of spiritual truth he was given (2 Corinthians 12:7). The New Testament reveals how God can use the presence of evil spirits to reveal His power. Jesus showed His power over demons on multiple occasions; every time Jesus cast out a demon, it was an affirmation of the Lord’s authority. The account of Jesus’ casting out the demons who entered a herd of pigs indicates that perhaps as many as 2,000 evil spirits were present, yet they all feared the power of Christ (Mark 5:1–13). If God does allow evil spirits to torment people today, He does so with the goal of our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). And, just as in Job’s case, Satan and his minions can do only what God allows them to do (Job 1:12; 2:6). They never act independently of God’s sovereign and perfect will and purpose. If believers suspect they are being tormented by demonic forces, the first response is to repent of any known sin. Then we should ask for wisdom to understand what we are to learn from the situation. Then we are to submit to whatever God has allowed in our lives, trusting that it will result in the building up of our faith and the glory of God. Evil spirits are no match for the power of God. As Ephesians 6:10–12 commands, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” GotQuestions.org Related Resources: For a thorough treatment of the Holy Spirit's role in the OT I would strongly recommend Dr Leon Wood's book The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament which can be borrowed. He has an entire chapter on Saul and Evil Spirits An Evil Spirit from the Lord'-Demonic Influence or Divine Instrument?" The Evangelical Quarterly 70.1 (Jan.-Mar. 1998): 3-22. [1 Samuel 16:14] Robin Routledge What are evil spirits? | GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? ANSWER - The role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament is much like His role in the New Testament. When we speak of the role of the Holy Spirit, we can discern four general areas in which the Holy Spirit works: 1) regeneration, 2) indwelling (or filling), 3) restraint, and 4) empowerment for service. Evidence of these areas of the Holy Spirit’s work is just as present in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament. The first area of the Spirit’s work is in the process of regeneration. Another word for regeneration is “rebirth,” from which we get the concept of being “born again.” The classic proof text for this can be found in John’s gospel: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). This begs the question: what does this have to do with the Holy Spirit’s work in the Old Testament? Later on in His dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus has this to say to him: “You are Israel’s teacher…and do you not understand these things?” (John 3:10). The point Jesus was making is that Nicodemus should have known the truth that the Holy Spirit is the source of new life because it is revealed in the Old Testament. For instance, Moses told the Israelites prior to entering the Promised Land that “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). This circumcision of the heart is the work of God’s Spirit and can be accomplished only by Him. We also see the theme of regeneration in Ezekiel 11:19-20 and Ezekiel 36:26-29. The fruit of the Spirit’s regenerating work is faith (Ephesians 2:8). Now we know that there were men of faith in the Old Testament because Hebrews 11 names many of them. If faith is produced by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, then this must be the case for Old Testament saints who looked ahead to the cross, believing that what God had promised in regard to their redemption would come to pass. They saw the promises and “welcomed them from a distance” (Hebrews 11:13), accepting by faith that what God had promised, He would also bring to pass. The second aspect of the Spirit’s work in the Old Testament is indwelling, or filling. Here is where the major difference between the Spirit’s roles in the Old and New Testaments is apparent. The New Testament teaches the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20). When we place our faith in Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. The apostle Paul calls this permanent indwelling the “guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13-14). In contrast to this work in the New Testament, the indwelling in the Old Testament was selective and temporary. The Spirit “came upon” such Old Testament people as Joshua (Numbers 27:18), David (1 Samuel 16:12-13) and even Saul (1 Samuel 10:10). In the book of Judges, we see the Spirit “coming upon” the various judges whom God raised up to deliver Israel from their oppressors. The Holy Spirit came upon these individuals for specific tasks. The indwelling was a sign of God’s favor upon that individual (in the case of David), and if God’s favor left an individual, the Spirit would depart (e.g., in Saul’s case in 1 Samuel 16:14). Finally, the Spirit “coming upon” an individual doesn’t always indicate that person’s spiritual condition (e.g., Saul, Samson, and many of the judges). So, while in the New Testament the Spirit only indwells believers and that indwelling is permanent, the Spirit came upon certain Old Testament individuals for a specific task, irrespective of their spiritual condition. Once the task was completed, the Spirit presumably departed from that person. The third aspect of the Spirit’s work in the Old Testament is His restraint of sin. Genesis 6:3 would seem to indicate that the Holy Spirit restrains man’s sinfulness, and that restraint can be removed when God’s patience regarding sin reaches a "boiling point." This thought is echoed in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, when in the end times a growing apostasy will signal the coming of God’s judgment. Until the preordained time when the “man of lawlessness” (v. 3) will be revealed, the Holy Spirit restrains the power of Satan and will release it only when it suits His purposes to do so. The fourth and final aspect of the Spirit’s work in the Old Testament is the granting of ability for service. Much like the way the spiritual gifts operate in the New Testament, the Spirit would gift certain individuals for service. Consider the example of Bezalel in Exodus 31:2-5 who was gifted to do much of the artwork relating to the Tabernacle. Furthermore, recalling the selective and temporary indwelling of the Holy Spirit discussed above, we see that these individuals were gifted to perform certain tasks, such as ruling over the people of Israel (e.g., Saul and David). We could also mention the Spirit’s role in creation. Genesis 1:2 speaks of the Spirit “hovering over the waters” and superintending the work of creation. In a similar fashion, the Spirit is responsible for the work of the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) as He is bringing people into the kingdom of God through regeneration. All in all, the Spirit performs much of the same functions in Old Testament times as He does in this current age. The major difference is the permanent indwelling of the Spirit in believers now. As Jesus said regarding this change in the Spirit’s ministry, “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). GotQuestions.org Related Resource: Can you lose the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.org Ray Pritchard - in Names of the Holy Spirit - YOUR HOLY SPIRIT Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11) King David penned these famous words in the aftermath of his disastrous affair with Bathsheba. Adultery led to a cover-up which eventually led to murder and the death of a newborn baby. In fact, that one sin led to the eventual crumbling of his empire and the slow disintegration of his family. When he finally reached the bottom, David cried out to God from the depths of humiliation and utter despair. Psalm 51 is perhaps the clearest picture in all the Bible of what true repentance looks like. There are no excuses, there is no passing the buck, no pleading of extenuating circumstances. “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (v. 3). When he finally came to his senses David saw clearly that his basic sin was treason against God. Adultery was simply the outward expression of inward mutiny against the Lord. In the end David agreed with God’s judgment on his sin and confessed how deeply sin had stained his life (vv. 4–6). He begged to be forgiven and cleansed from the inside out (v. 7–9). Then he asked for a miracle: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (v. 10). It was a prayer that only God could answer. That brings us to verse 11 where he prayed not to be cast out from God’s presence and asked that the Holy Spirit not be taken from him. Did David fear losing his salvation? No, probably not in the sense we use the term today. The kings of ancient Israel all knew that God had placed them on the throne and anointed them with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps David recalled Saul’s experience. When Saul was anointed by Samuel, the Holy Spirit came upon him and Saul was changed into a “different person” (1 Samuel 10:6–7). This experience evidently gave Saul an unusual measure of spiritual power that enabled him to rule Israel successfully. Later on, because of his disobedience, the Lord rejected him as king and the Holy Spirit departed from Saul, to be replaced by “an evil spirit from the Lord.” All this happened at the time when Samuel anointed David and the Holy Spirit came upon him (1 Samuel 16:13–14). Did David remember what happened to Saul? How could he forget the sudden, violent changes in personality, the mood swings, the friendship that turned to murderous hatred? David understood that once the Holy Spirit left Saul, he was never the same again. In Psalm 51:11, David prayed that what happened to Saul might not happen to him. It is a prayer related to the empowerment of the Spirit for continued service as the king of Israel. Having seen what happened to Saul, David knew that if the Holy Spirit left him, he too would be effectively finished as the ruler of Israel. A similar New Testament passage might be 1 Corinthians 9:24–27, where Paul says that he disciplined his body lest after preaching to others he would become “disqualified”—useless to God and man, put on the shelf and disqualified from further service. It is sometimes said that a New Testament believer could never pray this prayer today. But I’m not sure that is correct. Could the blessing of God be removed from a sinning believer? Yes. Could the Holy Spirit’s empowerment be taken away? Yes. Could a born-again Christian sin so grievously that he or she is “disqualified” from further effective service? If the answer is yes, then David’s prayer would indeed be appropriate. In any case, let us all be warned from David’s example. If such a man as he could sin so terribly and hurt so many people, if he could legitimately fear that the Holy Spirit’s empowerment might be removed from his life, then the same thing might happen to us as well. Let us heed the solemn words of 1 Corinthians 10:12, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” Lord Jesus, may I never take Your blessings for granted or feel that I have advanced so far that sin cannot touch me, lest what happened to others should also happen to me. Amen. 1 Samuel 16:15 Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. BGT 1 Samuel 16:15 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ παῖδες Σαουλ πρὸς αὐτόν ἰδοὺ δὴ πνεῦμα κυρίου πονηρὸν πνίγει σε LXE 1 Samuel 16:15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, and evil spirit from the Lord torments thee. KJV 1 Samuel 16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. NET 1 Samuel 16:15 Then Saul's servants said to him, "Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!" CSB 1 Samuel 16:15 so Saul's servants said to him, "You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ESV 1 Samuel 16:15 And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. NIV 1 Samuel 16:15 Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. NLT 1 Samuel 16:15 Some of Saul's servants said to him, "A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. NRS 1 Samuel 16:15 And Saul's servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. NJB 1 Samuel 16:15 Saul's servants said to him, 'An evil spirit from God is undoubtedly the cause of your terrors. NAB 1 Samuel 16:15 So the servants of Saul said to him: "Please! An evil spirit from God is tormenting you. YLT 1 Samuel 16:15 and the servants of Saul say unto him, 'Lo, we pray thee, a spirit of sadness from God is terrifying thee; 1 Samuel 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SERVANTS EXPLAIN SAUL'S TERROR IS SUPERNATURAL Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold (hinneh; Lxx = idou) now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing (baath) you - The way this reads, it suggests that Saul was terrorized in 1Sa 16:14 but was not fully aware of why this was occurring. The servants seem more spiritually "attuned" and begin with the attention getting word "Behold" (hinneh; Lxx = idou) to accentuate their explanation to Saul. They want to make sure he understands that his sense of terror is "extra-terrestrial" (supernatural) and not just related to natural illness, physical or mental. Guzik on Saul's condition recognized by servants -This was obvious to Saul’s servants, but it does not seem to be obvious to Saul. Often our spiritual condition is far more apparent to others than it is to our self. 1 Samuel 16:16 "Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well." BGT 1 Samuel 16:16 εἰπάτωσαν δὴ οἱ δοῦλοί σου ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ζητησάτωσαν τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν ἄνδρα εἰδότα ψάλλειν ἐν κινύρᾳ καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ εἶναι πνεῦμα πονηρὸν ἐπὶ σοὶ καὶ ψαλεῖ ἐν τῇ κινύρᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀγαθόν σοι ἔσται καὶ ἀναπαύσει σε LXE 1 Samuel 16:16 Let now thy servants speak before thee, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon thee and he shall play on his harp, that thou shalt be well, and he shall refresh thee. KJV 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. NET 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre and you will feel better." CSB 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God troubles you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better." ESV 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." NIV 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." NLT 1 Samuel 16:16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again." NRS 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord now command the servants who attend you to look for someone who is skillful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better." NJB 1 Samuel 16:16 Let our lord give the order, and your servants who wait on you will look for a skilled harpist; when the evil spirit from God comes over you, he will play and it will do you good.' NAB 1 Samuel 16:16 If your lordship will order it, we, your servants here in attendance on you, will look for a man skilled in playing the harp. When the evil spirit from God comes over you, he will play and you will feel better." YLT 1 Samuel 16:16 let our lord command, we pray thee, thy servants before thee, they seek a skilful man, playing on a harp, and it hath come to pass, in the spirit of sadness from God being upon thee, that he hath played with his hand, and it is well with thee.' before: 1Sa 16:21,22 Ge 41:46 1Ki 10:8 play: 1Sa 16:23 10:5 2Ki 3:15 1 Samuel 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Samuel 23:1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, SEEK A SKILLFUL PLAYER ON HARP Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well - This is an interesting passage as it implies that they knew something about the relationship between evil spirits and the playing of music. The main point is that the sovereign God is providentially arranging the events to bring the king to be, David. into the presence of King Saul.