But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now Yahweh’s Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh 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 51:11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
- 1 Sam 18:12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was 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 18:10And 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.
- 1 Sam 28:15And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
- Judg 16:20And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
- Acts 19:15–16And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
- 1 Kgs 22:22And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
- Hos 9:12Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
- 1 Sam 11:6And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
- 1 Sam 19:9–10And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
- Judg 16:29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
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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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