Saul Tries to Kill David

1 Samuel 19

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. r But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you." 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king s sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For t he took his life in his hand u and he struck down the Philistine, v and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against w innocent blood by killing David without cause?" 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, x "As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death." 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence y as before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 z Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. a And David was playing the lyre. 10 b And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 c Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." 12 d So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took e an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." 15 Then 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 came in, behold, e the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go. f Why should I kill you?'"

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at g Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, h the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, i and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, i and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, i and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in g Ramah." 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. j And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 k And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, l "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:1
    As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 42:22
    And Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.
  3. Cross References
    1 Samuel 28:21
    And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, "Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me.
    Judges 12:3
    And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?
    Judges 9:17
    For my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:49 - 50
    And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 11:13
    But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.
    1 Chronicles 11:14
    But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.
  6. Cross References
    Matthew 27:4
    Saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself.
  7. Cross References
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:21
    And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.
    1 Samuel 18:2
    And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house.
    1 Samuel 18:13
    So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:14
    Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:16
    Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.
  11. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:11
    And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.
    1 Samuel 20:33
    But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
  12. Cross References
    Psalms 59:1
    Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 2:15
    Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.
    Acts 9:24 - 25
    But their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him.
    2 Corinthians 11:33
    But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 31:19
    Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:13
    Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 2:22
    And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:19
    They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord ; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
  18. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:5 - 6
    After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.
    1 Samuel 10:10
    When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.
  19. Cross References
    Numbers 11:25
    Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
    Joel 2:28
    And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:20
    Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
  21. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:20
    Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:18
    Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.
  23. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:10
    The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 20:2
    At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
    Micah 1:8
    For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches.
    2 Samuel 6:20
    And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!
  25. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:11 - 12
    And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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