1 Samuele 18:10

10 Ora il giorno seguente avvenne che lo spirito malvagio mandato da Dio si avventò sopra Saulle, onde egli facea atti da uomo forsennato in mezzo la casa; e Davide sonava con le sue mani come per addietro, e Saulle avea una lancia in mano.

1 Samuele 18:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:10

And it came to pass on the morrow
After the women had met him with their music and dancing, and when returned home:

that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul;
thinking on the above things that had passed, he became melancholy:

and he prophesied in the midst of the house;
either really, delivering out divine songs, as the prophets did; according to Abarbinel, he foretold that David would be king, and the kingdom would be taken from him, and given to him; or he feigned himself a prophet, mimicking their motions and gestures; or, as the Targum, acted like a mad man, or a fool, uttering foolish words, and using ridiculous gestures, which seems most agreeable to the evil spirit in him:

and David played with his hand as at other times;
upon his harp, to remove the evil spirit, or melancholy disposition from Saul; for though he was now advanced at court, and an officer in the army, and high in the affections and applause of the people: yet he did not think it below him to act as a musician, to do service to his prince; of such an humble, kind, and ingenuous disposition was he:

and [there was] a javelin in Saul's hand;
a kind of spear, or half pike, which he had taken into his hand on purpose to kill David while playing; for persons in such circumstances as his, as they are very mischievous, so very subtle at contriving.

1 Samuele 18:10 In-Context

8 Laonde Saulle si adirò gravemente, e questa cosa gli dispiacque, e disse: Esse ne hanno dati a Davide diecimila, e a me ne hanno sol dati mille; certo non gli manca altro che il reame.
9 E da quel dì innanzi Saulle riguardava Davide di mal occhio.
10 Ora il giorno seguente avvenne che lo spirito malvagio mandato da Dio si avventò sopra Saulle, onde egli facea atti da uomo forsennato in mezzo la casa; e Davide sonava con le sue mani come per addietro, e Saulle avea una lancia in mano.
11 E Saulle lanciò la lancia, e disse: Io conficcherò Davide nella parete. Ma Davide si stornò d’innanzi a lui due volte.
12 E Saulle temette per cagion di Davide; perciocchè il Signore era con lui, e si era partito da Saulle.
The Giovanni Diodati Bible is in the public domain.