Now Yahweh’s Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him.
Parallel translations
- KJV But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
- BSB After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
- NKJV But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.
- NASB Now the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him.
- NLT Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
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 departs from Saul, and a troubling evil spirit from the LORD afflicts him. It shows the consequence of Saul's rejection and God's sovereign hand over all spirits.
Overview
As the Spirit empowers David, it withdraws from Saul, marking the transfer of God's favor and the spiritual consequences of Saul's rebellion. That the harmful spirit comes 'from the LORD' affirms God's sovereignty even over evil, which he permits and overrules for his purposes without being the author of sin. Saul's torment is a sobering picture of life under judgment, apart from the sustaining presence of God's Spirit.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 51:11Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your holy Spirit from me.
- 1 Sam 18:12Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul.
- Judg 9:23Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
- 1 Sam 18:10On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
- 1 Sam 28:15Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?” Saul answered, “I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, by prophets, or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.”
- Judg 16:20She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that Yahweh had departed from him.
- Acts 19:15–16The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”
- 1 Kgs 22:22Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He said, ‘You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.’
- Hos 9:12Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man shall be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them!
- 1 Sam 11:6God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot.
- 1 Sam 19:9–10An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
- Judg 16:29Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and leaned on them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 16:14 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
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