1Jonathan discloseth to David his father's purpose to kill him. 4He persuadeth his father to a reconciliation. 8Saul, jealous of David's good success in a new war, again seeketh to slay him; he saveth himself by flight. 11Saul's messengers come to David's house to slay him; Michal favoureth his escape, and deceiveth her father by an image in the bed. 18David cometh to Samuel to Naioth; he is pursued; the spirit of prophecy cometh upon Saul's messengers, 23and upon Saul.
1AND Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until 1the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
1 For, Saul’s lifeguards intended to kill him in the morning, verse 11. Other, unto morning, for in the mean while Jonathan had undertaken to speak unto Saul in David’s behalf, and to find out, if Saul yet persisted in his wicked intent.
3And I will go out and stand beside my father 2in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I 3see, that I will tell thee.
2 Other, on the field.
3 Or, hearken, or, perceive.
4¶And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king 4sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-warda very good:
4 Namely, doing him wrong and thus pursuing him in a deadly manner.
a toward thee
5For 5he did put his life in his hand, and slew the 6Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
5 As if he would say: He has risked his life, and put himself in danger of death. See the like phrase Judges 12:3; 1 Sam. 28:21.
6 Other, the Philistines. See 1 Sam. 18:6.
6And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, 7he shall not be slain.
7 That is, by my command; so that Saul here moves away from his intention, verse 1. Hebr. If he be killed! See the annotation on Gen. 14:23.
7And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and 8he was in his presence, as in times past.
8 That is, he came to court, and did his office as he had done before.
8¶And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
9Andb 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.
b 1 Sam. 16:14; 18:10.
10And Saul sought to smite 9David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
9 See 1 Sam. 18:11.
11Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him 10in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy 11life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.
10 See verse 2.
11 That is, yourself, your person, your life.
12¶So Michal let David down 12through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
12 For, the doors were occupied with Saul’s servants.
13And Michal took 13an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of 14goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
13 Hebr. teraphim, as verse 16.
14 As if it had been David’s hair.
14And when Saul sent messengers 15to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 Other, to apprehend. Hebr. to take.
15And Saul sent the messengers again to 16see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
16 That is, to visit him; as if they came to visit him out of friendship, or to see how he did, in his sickness. But they came chiefly to see if he were sick indeed, or whether he only feigned himself sick, and in whatever condition he was, to take him along with them.
16And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
1717And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; 18why should I kill thee?
17 Namely, after Saul’s messengers had told him, what had befallen them.
18 Intimating, that David had threatened to kill her, if she would not have let him go. See the like phrase, 2 Sam. 2:22.
18¶So David fled, and escaped, and 19came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in 20Naioth.
19 Namely, to ask counsel what he should do, and also because he thought he would be there more safe and secure than elsewhere, namely, in the company of Samuel, and the other prophets, who were safe at Gibeah, notwithstanding the Philistines had their garrison there, 1 Sam. 10:10.
20 This is a place where the prophets had a college or school, situated by Ramah, where Samuel had his house.
19And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth 21in Ramah.
21 Thus is the Hebrew letter beth plainly taken, Joshua 5:13, etc.
20And Saul sent messengers to 22take David: and when they 23saw the company of the prophets 24prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also 25prophesied.
22 See verse 14.
23 Hebr. saw, in the singular number, that is, every one of them saw.
24 That is, praising God, and magnifying His Name with prayers and songs of praise.
25 They behaved themselves as the prophets did when they prophesied. See 1 Sam. 18:10. It seems that these messengers of Saul were so altered in their mind and opinion, that in putting off their armor, they thought no more of seizing David’s person, whereas they were sent out for that very intent.
21And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in 26Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
26 See concerning this city the annotation on 1 Sam. 17:1.
23And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24And 27he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and 28lay down 29naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, 30Is Saul also among the prophets?
27 That is, he put off his royal robe, or soldiers’ upper garment wherewith he came to apprehend David.
28 Understand, that he fell as it were into a trance, as it sometimes befell the prophets. See Num. 24:4. Or, he fell down as the other, stretching themselves toward the ground in prayer, humbling themselves thus together before the Lord.
29 Or, naked. Understand this thus, that he stripped himself of his royal robe, or upper garment, or of his soldiers’ coat. See the like, Isa. 20:2; Micah 1:8.
30 See 1 Sam. 10 on verse 12. Here this proverb is applicable to those who are wonderfully prevented by God in their intention, as it befell Saul here. See a similar history, Numbers 23 and 24 in Balaam, and Acts 9 in Saul.