1 Samuel 19

Saul Tries to Kill David

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. ¹But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.

2 And Jonathan told David, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you."

4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king ²sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you.

5 For ³he took his life in his hand ⁴and he struck down the Philistine, ⁵and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against ⁶innocent blood by killing David without cause?"

6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, ⁷"As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."

7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence ⁸as before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him.

9 ⁹Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. ¹⁰And David was playing the lyre.

10 ¹¹And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 ¹²Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

12 ¹³So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped.

13 Michal took ¹⁴an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes.

14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."

15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."

16 And when the messengers came in, behold, ¹⁵the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.

17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go. ¹⁶Why should I kill you?'"

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at ¹⁷Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.

19 And it was told Saul, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."

20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, ¹⁸the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, ¹⁹and they also prophesied.

21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, ²⁰and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, ²¹and they also prophesied.

22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in ²²Ramah."

23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. ²³And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

24 ²⁴And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, ²⁵"Is Saul also among the prophets?"

1 Samuel 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

Jonathan reconciles his father to David, Saul again tries to slay him. (1-10) David flees to Samuel. (11-24)

Verses 1-10 How forcible are right words! Saul was, for a time, convinced of the unreasonableness of his enmity to David; but he continued his malice against David. So incurable is the hatred of the seed of the serpent against that of the woman; so deceitful and desperately wicked is the heart of man without the grace of God, ( Jeremiah 17:9 ) .

Verses 11-24 Michal's stratagem to gain time till David got to a distance was allowable, but her falsehood had not even the plea of necessity to excuse it, and manifests that she was not influenced by the same spirit of piety which had dictated Jonathan's language to Saul. In flying to Samuel, David made God his refuge. Samuel, as a prophet, was best able to advise him what to do in this day of distress. He met with little rest or satisfaction in Saul's court, therefore went to seek it in Samuel's church. What little pleasure is to be had in this world, those have who live a life of communion with God; to that David returned in the time of trouble. So impatient was Saul after David's blood, so restless against him, that although baffled by one providence after another, he could not see that David was under the special protection of God. And when God will take this way to protect David, even Saul prophesies. Many have great gifts, yet no grace; they may prophesy in Christ's name, yet are disowned by him. Let us daily seek for renewing grace, which shall be in us as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Let us cleave to truth and holiness with full purpose of heart. In every danger and trouble, let us seek protection, comfort, and direction in God's ordinances.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 18:1
• 2. [Genesis 42:22]
• 3. 1 Samuel 28:21; Judges 12:3; [Judges 9:17]
• 4. 1 Samuel 17:49, 50
• 5. [1 Samuel 11:13; 1 Chronicles 11:14]
• 6. Matthew 27:4
• 7. See Ruth 3:13
• 8. 1 Samuel 16:21; 1 Samuel 18:2, 13
• 9. See 1 Samuel 16:14
• 10. See 1 Samuel 16:16
• 11. 1 Samuel 18:11; 1 Samuel 20:33
• 12. See Psalms 59
• 13. [Joshua 2:15; Acts 9:24, 25]; 2 Corinthians 11:33
• 14. See Genesis 31:19
• 15. [See ver. 13 above]
• 16. [2 Samuel 2:22]
• 17. 1 Samuel 1:19
• 18. [1 Samuel 10:5, 6, 10]
• 19. [Numbers 11:25; Joel 2:28]
• 20. [See ver. 20 above]
• 21. [See ver. 20 above]
• 22. [See ver. 18 above]
• 23. [1 Samuel 18:10]
• 24. Isaiah 20:2; Micah 1:8; [2 Samuel 6:20]
• 25. 1 Samuel 10:11, 12

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 19

This chapter relates the dangers David was exposed unto through Saul's enmity at him, and his deliverance from them, as by the notice Jonathan gave him of his father's designs against him, and by his kind interposition on his behalf, 1Sa 19:1-7; by David's slipping out of Saul's presence, when he was about to cast a javelin at him, 1Sa 19:8-10; by Michal's letting him down through a window, when Saul sent messengers to kill him, and by deceiving them with an image laid in his bed in the room of him, 1Sa 19:11-17, and again by Samuel's protection of him at Naioth, whither David fled, and where Saul sent messengers after him, and at length came himself; and instead of laying hands on David, both he and the messengers were set a prophesying, 1Sa 19:18-24.