Add parallel Print Page Options

13 Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.(A)

David Wins Saul’s Approval. 14 [a](B)The spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord. 15 So the servants of Saul said to him: “Look! An evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 16:14–23 These verses explain Saul’s loss of divine favor and David’s rise to power. By approving the young man, Saul identifies David as his legitimate successor. Of the two traditions in the Hebrew text about David’s entry into Saul’s service, the Greek translation retains only the one found in vv. 14–23; 17:1–11, 32–54. An evil spirit from the Lord: Saul’s erratic behavior is attributed to a change in the Lord’s relationship with him. Cf. Jgs 9:23, where the Lord puts an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem.