1 Samuel 19:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

NASB: And Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

CSB: and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul, ran away, and escaped that night.

NLT: Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

First Samuel 19:8–10 shows that logic has no power over an evil spirit. Jonathan has convinced Saul to allow David back into his service, but the evil spirit returns to torment Saul. This time, David's soothing music doesn't help. Saul, again (1 Samuel 19:9–10), throws a spear at David, and David flees. Saul sends spies to David's house, but David escapes with the help of Michal, David's wife and Saul's daughter (1 Samuel 19:11–17).

In 1 Samuel 19, the war between Saul and David grows stronger. Saul orders his servants to kill David. Jonathan confronts him about this injustice, and the king swears not to put David to death. But when a harmful spirit from the Lord comes upon Saul, Saul tries to kill David with a spear. With Michal's help, David escapes Samuel in Ramah and the company of prophets. Three groups of Saul's servants and then Saul himself come to arrest David, but they're all overcome by God's Spirit and begin prophesying uncontrollably.

When David killed Goliath, Saul brought him in as an army commander. The more battles David won, the more the people loved him. Saul increasingly saw his warrior as a threat (1 Samuel 16:14—18:30). David finally understands he can't reconcile his relationship with the king. He flees with the help of Saul's daughter and son, who are David's wife and best friend (1 Samuel 19—20). Stil loyal to King Saul and Israel, David builds his own army. He will continue to fight Israel's enemies, and run from Saul, until Saul's death.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.