1 Samuel · Majority Standard Bible
1 Samuel 19 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,
1 Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David.
2 so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.
2 Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, live in a secret place, and hide yourself.
3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you.”
4 Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
4 Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you;
5 He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
5 for he put his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”
6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.”
7 So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
7 Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.
8 When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them with such a mighty blow that they fled before him.
8 There was war again. David went out and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
9 But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
9 An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing music with his hand.
10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
10 Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence; and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.
11 Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”
12 So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
12 So Michal let David down through the window. He went away, fled, and escaped.
13 Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
13 Michal took the teraphim and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with clothes.
14 When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”
15 But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”
15 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 entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.
16 When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head.
17 And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”
18 So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
18 Now David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.
19 When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
19 Saul was told, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
20 Saul sent messengers to seize David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, God’s Spirit came on Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied.
21 When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy.
21 When Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told.
22 Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” One said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
23 He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then God’s Spirit came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
24 He also stripped off his clothes. He also prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 18:1; 1 Samuel 18:9
- 2 Proverbs 17:17; Acts 9:24; Acts 23:16; 1 Samuel 20:2; 1 Samuel 18:1–3
- 3 1 Samuel 20:13; 1 Samuel 20:9
- 4 Jeremiah 18:20; Proverbs 31:8–9; Genesis 42:22; 1 Samuel 20:32; Proverbs 17:13
- 5 1 Chronicles 11:14; 1 Samuel 11:13; 1 Samuel 20:32; Judges 9:17; Matthew 27:4
- 6 Proverbs 26:24–25; Jeremiah 5:2; 1 Samuel 28:10; 1 Samuel 19:10–11; Psalm 15:4
- 7 1 Samuel 18:2; 1 Samuel 16:21; 1 Samuel 18:13; 1 Samuel 18:10; 1 Chronicles 11:2
- 8 Psalm 18:32–50; Psalm 27:3
- 9 1 Samuel 16:14; 1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Samuel 18:10–11
- 10 1 Samuel 20:33; 1 Samuel 18:11; Proverbs 21:30; Matthew 10:23; Psalm 34:19
- 11 Psalm 59:1–17; Judges 16:2
- 12 Joshua 2:15; Acts 9:24–25; 2 Corinthians 11:32–33; Psalm 34:19
- 13 Genesis 31:19; Judges 18:17; Judges 18:14; Judges 17:5; Hosea 3:4
- 14 Joshua 2:5; 2 Samuel 17:20; 2 Samuel 16:17–19
- 15 Proverbs 27:3–4; 1 Samuel 19:6; Job 31:31; Psalm 37:12; Romans 3:15
- 17 2 Samuel 2:22; Exodus 1:17–19; 1 Samuel 22:17; 1 Samuel 28:12; 1 Samuel 19:14
- 18 1 Samuel 7:17; James 5:16; 1 Samuel 28:3; Psalm 116:11; 1 Samuel 15:34
- 19 1 Samuel 26:1; 1 Samuel 23:19; Proverbs 29:12; 1 Samuel 22:9–10
- 20 Joel 2:28; John 7:32; 1 Samuel 10:5–6; 1 Corinthians 14:24–25; 1 Corinthians 14:3
- 21 Jeremiah 13:23; Proverbs 27:22; 2 Kings 1:9–13; Joel 2:28
- 23 Proverbs 16:9; 1 Samuel 10:10; Numbers 24:2; 1 Samuel 19:20; Numbers 23:5
- 24 1 Samuel 10:10–12; Micah 1:8; 2 Samuel 6:20; Isaiah 20:2; 2 Samuel 6:14
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
There is indeed a story in the Scripture of the Reigns, of the occasion when Saul sent to guard the house in order that he might kill David....But in like manner as Saul effected not his purpose of slaying David: so this could not the government of the Jews effect, that the testimony of guards sleeping should avail more …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)