Bible Chapter Summary
1 Samuel 19 Summary
Saul Seeks to Kill David
Saul commands Jonathan and his servants to kill David, but Jonathan loves David and warns him that Saul seeks his life. Jonathan speaks well of David to Saul, reminding him of David's service and the salvation he wrought for Israel, and Saul swears by the Lord that David shall not be slain. However, when war breaks out again and David is successful, Saul's evil spirit returns and he tries to smite David with a javelin while David plays the harp. David escapes and that night Saul sends messengers to watch David's house to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, lets him down through a window to escape. She deceives the messengers by laying an image in the bed. David flees to Samuel at Ramah. When Saul sends messengers to take David, the Spirit of God comes upon them and they prophesy instead. This happens three times, and when Saul himself goes to Ramah, the Spirit comes upon him and he prophesies until he comes to Naioth.
Key themes
Key verses
1 Samuel 19:10
“And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.”
1 Samuel 19:18
“So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.”
1 Samuel 19:23-24
“And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.”
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