1 Samuel 19

In this chapter, Saul’s growing jealousy and hatred toward David escalates, leading to multiple attempts on David’s life. Jonathan, Saul’s son, seeks to protect his friend David, while Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, also helps him escape. The chapter highlights the increasing tension between Saul and David, as well as God’s continued protection of David from Saul’s schemes.

1 Samuel 19:1 (NKJV)
1 Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David.

Jonathan’s loyalty to David is clear from the outset, contrasting sharply with Saul’s murderous intent. Despite being the king’s son, Jonathan aligns himself with David, showing his deep friendship and moral integrity. Saul’s command to kill David demonstrates how jealousy has completely consumed him, leading him to disregard any affection or loyalty that his family has for David.

1 Samuel 19:2-3 (NKJV)
2 So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; then what I observe, I will tell you.”

Jonathan risks his own safety by warning David about Saul’s intentions. His plan to mediate between Saul and David reveals Jonathan’s hope that his father can be reasoned with. This shows Jonathan’s belief in both justice and friendship, and his desire to see David spared from Saul’s irrational anger.

1 Samuel 19:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not 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 For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”

Jonathan’s defense of David is bold and logical. He reminds Saul of David’s past loyalty and bravery, particularly in defeating Goliath, which benefited the entire nation. Jonathan appeals to Saul’s sense of justice, calling the king’s desire to kill David a sin and unjust. This reasoning shows Jonathan’s wisdom and concern for righteousness.

1 Samuel 19:6 (NKJV)
6 So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.”

At this point, Saul is momentarily swayed by Jonathan’s argument and swears an oath that he will not kill David. This temporary change of heart reveals that Saul is still capable of recognizing right from wrong, even though his jealousy often overrides his judgment.

1 Samuel 19:7 (NKJV)
7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

Jonathan’s intervention is successful, and David is restored to Saul’s presence. For a brief period, there is peace, and things return to how they were before Saul’s jealousy began. This momentary reconciliation, however, will not last long as Saul’s inner turmoil continues to grow.

1 Samuel 19:8 (NKJV)
8 And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.

David’s success in battle against the Philistines again highlights his bravery and leadership, which further aggravates Saul’s jealousy. David’s victory benefits Israel, but his growing fame and reputation as a warrior continue to fuel Saul’s insecurities.

1 Samuel 19:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand.
10 Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.

Saul’s inner torment manifests once more, and he attempts to kill David while David is playing music to soothe him. David narrowly escapes Saul’s violent outburst. This scene shows the depth of Saul’s instability, driven by his jealousy, and how David’s life is constantly at risk despite his loyalty to Saul.

1 Samuel 19:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.”
12 So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.

Michal’s quick thinking saves David’s life. Despite being Saul’s daughter, Michal sides with her husband, recognizing the danger her father poses to him. Her actions show her loyalty to David and her courage in helping him escape from her father’s deadly plans.

1 Samuel 19:13-14 (NKJV)
13 And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes.
14 So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”

Michal devises a clever plan to buy David more time by placing a household idol in his bed and claiming that David is ill. This deception shows her resourcefulness in trying to protect David from Saul’s determined efforts to kill him.

1 Samuel 19:15-16 (NKJV)
15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”
16 And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.

Saul is so intent on killing David that he orders his messengers to bring David to him in his bed. When they discover Michal’s ruse, it reveals how desperate and relentless Saul has become in his pursuit of David, willing to kill him even if he is sick.

1 Samuel 19:17 (NKJV)
17 Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

Michal lies to her father to protect herself, claiming that David threatened her life. This lie adds another layer of tension between Saul and his children, as both Jonathan and Michal have now chosen to support David over their father. Saul’s descent into madness is alienating him from those closest to him.

1 Samuel 19:18 (NKJV)
18 So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

David seeks refuge with Samuel, the prophet who anointed him as king. By going to Samuel, David is not only seeking safety but also divine counsel and reassurance in this time of great danger. This marks a shift in David’s life, as he now becomes a fugitive.

1 Samuel 19:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!”
20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

When Saul’s messengers arrive to capture David, they are overcome by the Spirit of God and begin prophesying. This divine intervention not only protects David but also demonstrates God’s power in controlling the situation, showing that God’s favor is with David, even against Saul’s relentless pursuit.

1 Samuel 19:21-22 (NKJV)
21 And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.”

Saul, undeterred by the previous events, sends more messengers, but they too are overcome by the Spirit and begin to prophesy. This repetition of divine intervention further illustrates how God’s protection over David remains steadfast. Saul’s obsession drives him to pursue David personally, showing his increasing desperation.

1 Samuel 19:23-24 (NKJV)
23 So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Even Saul himself is overtaken by the Spirit of God and begins to prophesy, stripping off his royal garments. This humbling act of Saul lying exposed symbolizes how powerless he is against God’s will. The phrase “Is Saul also among the prophets?” becomes a saying, pointing to this extraordinary event. It serves as a final display of God’s dominance over Saul’s efforts to harm David.