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And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
1 Samuel 11:6 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot.
  • BSB When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
  • NKJV Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.
  • NASB Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.
  • NLT Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Spirit of God rushes upon Saul and his anger burns hot at the news. God stirs him to action against Israel's oppressor.

Overview

As with the judges, the Spirit's mighty coming empowers Saul for a saving work. His righteous anger is directed at injustice and the dishonoring of Israel and her God. This Spirit-empowered zeal marks the high point of Saul's kingship and shows that true deliverance comes from the Lord working through His chosen instrument.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • 1 Sam 10:10And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
  • Judg 6:34But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
  • 1 Sam 16:13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
  • Judg 3:10And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
  • Judg 14:6And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
  • Judg 13:25And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
  • Judg 11:29Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
  • Mark 3:5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
  • Exod 32:19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
  • Eph 4:26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
  • Num 12:3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 11:6YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 11:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.