1 Samuel 19:20

20 he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy.

1 Samuel 19:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 19:20

And Saul sent messengers to take David
Notwithstanding the sacred place he was in, so bent was he upon his destruction:

and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying;
or praising, as the Targum; singing hymns and songs of praise to God, under the inspiration and influence of the Spirit of God, who endited these songs for them, and excited them to sing them; these prophets belonged to the school or college of prophets at Naioth, whom the messengers saw when they came thither, and found them thus employed; or "when he saw" F13, for the word is singular, that is, the chief of the messengers, or everyone of them, so Kimchi:

and Samuel standing [as] appointed over them;
he was president of the college, and he stood to instruct and teach them in the knowledge of divine things: so the Targum,

``standing, teaching over them or by them,''

and to direct and assist them in singing their songs of praise:

the Spirit of the Lord was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also
prophesied:
or praised, as the Targum; sung hymns and songs of praise as the prophets did, and were so taken up with these religious exercises, that they forgot, or were inattentive to the business they were sent to do. Ben Gersom thinks they foretold things to come, and so Abarbinel; and particularly that they prophesied that David should rule over all Israel, and that God would not suffer Saul to slay him; and so were indifferent to, and negligent of doing the errand they were sent on, yea, purposely avoided it.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (aryw) "et vidit", Montanus, Vatablus, Tigurine version; "et vidit quisque [vel] unusquisque illorum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

1 Samuel 19:20 In-Context

18 So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth.
19 When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy.
21 When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time.
22 Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded. “They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him.
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