1 Samuel 18:12

12 {Now Saul was threatened by the presence of David} because Yahweh was with him, but had departed from Saul.

1 Samuel 18:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:12

And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him,
&c.] Protecting and preserving him, prospering and succeeding him, giving him victory over his enemies, and favour among the people; the Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord was for his help.''

Procopius Gazaeus interprets it of the Holy Ghost, whose grace was vouchsafed unto him: he might be afraid in his melancholy fits, that as he had attempted to take away the life of David, that David would contrive and seek an opportunity, and take away his life, and seize the kingdom which God had given him, and his being with him strengthened these fears:

and was departed from Saul;
so that he was destitute of courage, and greatness of mind, and of wisdom and prudence, and became mean and abject, and exposed himself to the contempt of his subjects.

1 Samuel 18:12 In-Context

10 {On} [the] next day, the evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. Now David was playing [the lyre] with his hand on [that] day {as usual}, and the spear was in Saul's hand.

11 Then Saul hurled the spear and thought, "{I will pin David to the wall}." But David eluded him twice.

12 {Now Saul was threatened by the presence of David} because Yahweh was with him, but had departed from Saul.

13 So Saul removed him {from his presence}, and made him commander of a thousand, {so he marched in and out at the front of the army}.

14 And David was achieving success in all his ways and Yahweh [was] with him,

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "And Saul was afraid from the presence of David"