1 Samuel 16:16

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 1he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well."

1 Samuel 16:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 16:16

Let our Lord now command thy servants which are before thee,
&c.] Meaning either themselves, or some of a more inferior rank, who were in some post and office at court, waiters there, such as yeomen of the guards:

to seek out a man who is a cunning player on the harp:
a musical instrument much in use in those days:

and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee;
when in a melancholy mood, and Satan takes the advantage of it to distress and terrify, to spread the gloom, and stir up evil passions, and promote distraction and confusion:

that he shall play with his hand:
upon the harp, that being not an instrument of wind, but of hand music:

and thou shalt be well:
music being a means of cheering the spirits, and removing melancholy and gloomy apprehensions of things, and so of restoring to better health of body and disposition of mind; and that music has such an effect on the bodies and minds of men is certain from observation and experience in all ages. Music has been found to be medicine to various diseases, not only for the curing of the bite of vipers, and of the tarantula, but for easing the pains of the sciatica, and for helping persons labouring under the disorders of the frenzy {k}; and Pythagoras used to compose the mind, and remove the perturbations of it, by the use of the harp F12, the thing here advised to.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 4. c. 13. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 17. Vid. Philostrat. Vit. Apollon. Tyan. l. 5. c. 7.
F12 Seneca de Ira, l. 3. c. 9.

1 Samuel 16:16 In-Context

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.
15 Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.
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."
17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me."
18 Then one of the young men said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him."

Cross References 1

  • 1. 1 Samuel 18:10; 1 Samuel 19:9; 2 Kings 3:15
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