1 Samuel 16:23

1 Samuel 16:23

 

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

 

a. NLT: And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

 

b. ASV: And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

 

c. YLT: And it hath come to pass, in the spirit of sadness from God being on Saul, that David hath taken the harp, and played with his hand, and Saul hath refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

 

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: And it happened that whenever the spirit [of melancholy] from God was upon Saul, David would take up the harp and play [it] with his hand, and Saul would feel relieved and it would be well with him, and the spirit of melancholy would depart from him. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

 

1. “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul…”

 

a. And it came to pass, when the evil [No Hebrew. Added by the translators because the context demands it.]  

 

b. the spirit [7307 * ruwach] [Strong: from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).]

 

c. from God [430 * 'elohiym] [Strong: plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]

 

1). Dake: Evil spirits come from God only in the sense of being permitted by Him to trouble those who are backslidden and persist in sin and rebellion (1 Samuel 16:14; 1 Kings 22:21-24; 2 Chronicles 18:20-23). The idea is that God does not protect such a person from spirits as He otherwise would if He yielded to Him instead, and obeyed Him. God gave Saul over to an evil spirit as punishment for his sins and self-will. Naturally, when the Holy Spirit left him he was open to an evil spirit of torment from Satan.

 

d. was upon Saul [7586 * Sha'uwl] [Strong: passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.]

 

2. “…that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.”

 

a. that David [1732 * David; rarely (fully); Daviyd] [Strong: from the same as 1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.]

 

b. took [3947 * laqach] [Strong: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

 

c. an harp [3657 * kinnowr] [Strong: from a unused root meaning to twang; a harp: -harp.]

 

d. and played [5059 * nagan] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to thrum, i.e. beat a tune with the fingers; expec. to play on a stringed instrument; hence (generally), to make music:--player on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel, play(-er, -ing).]

 

e. with his hand [3027 * yad] [Strong: a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad, (broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship, force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in, labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine, ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain, power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing, + thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side, where, + wide, X with (him, me, you), work, + yield, X yourselves.]

 

f. so Saul [7586 * Sha'uwl] [Strong: passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.]

 

g. was refreshed [7304 * ravach] [Strong: a primitive root (identical with 7306); properly, to breathe freely, i.e. revive; by implication, to have ample room:--be refreshed, large.]

 

h. and was well [2895 * towb] [Strong: a primitive root, to be (transitively, do or make) good (or well) in the widest sense:--be (do) better, cheer, be (do, seem) good, (make) goodly, X please, (be, do, go, play) well.]

 

i. and the evil [7451 * ra`] [Strong: from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):-- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).]

 

j. spirit [7307 * ruwach] [Strong: from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).]

 

k. departed [5493 * cuwr soor or suwr (Hosea 9:12) {soor}; a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative):--be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), X grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.]

1). Here we see that Holy Ghost anointed music will give deliverance to devil oppressed people.

a). Psalm 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

2). Elisha knew one of the effects of anointed music was providing a medium for the Holy Ghost to flow through him.

b). 2 Kings 3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.