Berean Study Bible Saul Tries to Kill DavidSaul’s jealousy had hardened into open violence. Though David had served him faithfully and brought victory to Israel, Saul viewed him as a threat to his dynasty. By involving Jonathan and the royal servants, Saul attempted to turn his household and court against David, revealing both his fear and his refusal to accept God’s purposes. 1Sa 20:31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth,… But Jonathan delighted greatly in David, Jonathan’s love for David placed him in direct conflict with his father’s command. As Saul’s heir, Jonathan had much to lose if David became king, yet he recognized David’s faithfulness and stood by him. His loyalty would lead him to protect David rather than participate in Saul’s unjust plan. 1Sa 20:17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him… so he warned David, saying, Jonathan remained loyal to David despite Saul’s growing hostility. His warning showed the strength of their covenant friendship and his willingness to protect the man God had chosen to succeed Saul. 1Sa 20:12-13 “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father… “My father Saul intends to kill you. Saul’s jealousy of David’s military success and popularity had hardened into a determination to remove him. Though David had served Saul faithfully, Saul viewed him as a threat to his throne. 1Sa 18:11 and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David… Be on your guard in the morning; Jonathan urged David to remain alert because Saul’s intentions could quickly lead to violence. David’s danger was immediate and required careful action. Mrk 13:33-37 Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know… find a secret place and hide there. David was to withdraw temporarily rather than provoke Saul or endanger others. His concealment preserved his life during the years before he would become king. 1Sa 22:1 So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam.… I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, Jonathan planned to speak privately with Saul away from the pressures of the royal court. Standing with his father showed proper respect for Saul’s authority, while Jonathan’s concern for David revealed the difficult position he occupied between them. 1Sa 20:11-13 “Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.”… so I can ask about you. Jonathan intended to discover whether Saul’s hostility toward David had passed or whether David remained in danger. He approached Saul carefully, seeking to understand his father’s plans before warning David. 1Sa 17:17-18 One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this… And if I find out anything, I will tell you.” Jonathan pledged to report Saul’s intentions faithfully. His promise demonstrated the depth of his covenant friendship with David and his resolve to protect him without acting dishonorably toward his father. Act 23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot,… Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul Jonathan risked his relationship with Saul to defend David, recognizing that God had set David apart for Israel’s future. His loyalty was not blind loyalty to family but commitment to what was right. 1Sa 20:32-34 “Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied…… and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; Saul’s planned violence against David would be rebellion against God’s purpose and an abuse of royal authority. Jonathan directly confronted his father’s wrongdoing rather than remaining silent. 1Sa 26:9-11 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him… he has not sinned against you. David had served Saul faithfully and had given him no cause for suspicion or hostility. Saul’s jealousy, not David’s conduct, had made David his target. 1Sa 24:11 See, my father, look at the corner of your robe… In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. David’s victories had strengthened Saul’s kingdom and brought security to Israel. Jonathan reminded Saul that David had repeatedly acted for Saul’s good, even while Saul sought to harm him. 1Sa 18:5 So David marched out and prospered in everything… He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, David willingly took his life in his hands when he faced Goliath as Israel’s army stood in fear, trusting the LORD rather than weapons or military strength. His victory displayed courage born from faith and brought the conflict to a decisive turning point. 1Sa 17:49-50 Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone,… and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. David’s defeat of Goliath led to Israel’s victory over the Philistines. Jonathan rightly credits the LORD for delivering the nation, not merely David for his skill or bravery. 1Sa 14:45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—… You saw it and rejoiced, Saul had witnessed the victory and shared in the nation’s celebration. He had recognized David’s service and the LORD’s intervention before jealousy turned him against David. 1Sa 18:6-7 As the troops were returning home after David had killed… so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?” David had done nothing deserving death; he had served Saul faithfully and risked his life for Israel. Jonathan confronts Saul with the injustice of pursuing a man who had been a benefit to both the king and the nation. Exo 23:7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill… Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan Jonathan’s loyalty to David led him to appeal directly to his father. Though Saul was king, he received Jonathan’s counsel and reconsidered his intent to kill David. Gen 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed… and swore an oath: Saul made a binding promise before God, publicly committing himself to spare David’s life. The oath marked a real, though temporary, restraint on Saul’s hostility. 1Sa 20:42 And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace.… “As surely as the LORD lives, Saul invoked the living God as witness to his promise, giving the declaration solemn authority. 1Sa 14:39 As surely as the LORD who saves Israel lives… David will not be put to death.” Jonathan’s intervention preserved David from Saul’s immediate plans and allowed him to continue serving Israel. Saul’s pledge did not remove the deeper jealousy that would later drive him again to pursue David. 1Sa 20:2 “Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die.… So Jonathan summoned David Having persuaded Saul not to harm David, Jonathan called him back from hiding. His loyalty to David remained firm despite the danger of opposing his father’s hostility. 1Sa 20:11 “Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.”… and told him all these things. Jonathan openly reported Saul’s change of mind, allowing David to return without deception or uncertainty. 1Sa 20:35-42 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field… Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, Jonathan personally arranged the meeting, acting to restore peace between Saul and David after Saul’s oath not to kill him. 1Sa 17:57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine,… and David was with Saul as before. David resumed his place in Saul’s service, though Saul’s jealousy and fear had not been permanently removed. 1Sa 18:10 The next day a spirit of distress sent from God… When war broke out again, Israel’s conflict with the Philistines resumed, reflecting the persistent pressure this enemy placed on Saul’s kingdom. 2Sa 21:15 Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel… David went out and fought the Philistines David continued to serve faithfully as Israel’s military commander despite Saul’s growing hostility toward him. 2Sa 5:19-20 So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up… and struck them with such a mighty blow God gave David a decisive victory, further confirming the courage, ability, and favor that had distinguished him since his defeat of Goliath. 1Sa 17:50-51 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling… that they fled before him. The Philistine retreat secured Israel’s position and increased David’s reputation among the people, deepening Saul’s fear of him. 1Sa 17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward… But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, Saul remained in his royal residence, holding the weapon associated with his authority as Israel’s warrior king. The spear, however, had become an instrument of his fear and hostility toward David, revealing how deeply jealousy had corrupted his rule. 1Sa 22:6 Soon Saul learned that David and his men… a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. God’s judgment upon Saul’s disobedience was evident in the torment that troubled him. Saul’s rejection of God’s command had brought increasing spiritual and emotional darkness, in sharp contrast to the Lord’s favor resting on David. 1Sa 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, … While David was playing the harp, David continued serving Saul faithfully through music meant to calm the king. His skill as a musician provided relief, yet Saul’s unrest and hatred soon turned even this peaceful setting into danger. 1Sa 16:23 And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul… Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. Saul’s jealousy had hardened into murderous intent. David’s success and growing favor among the people exposed Saul’s insecurity and refusal to accept God’s will. The spear, once a royal weapon of defense, became an instrument of Saul’s desperate effort to remove the man God had chosen to succeed him. 1Sa 18:10-11 The next day a spirit of distress sent from God… But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. David escaped unharmed, demonstrating that Saul’s power could not overturn God’s purpose. Saul’s attack failed, while the spear remained embedded in the wall as evidence of his rage and instability. 1Sa 23:26-28 Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain… And David fled and escaped that night. David’s departure began a long season of danger and exile. Though forced from Saul’s court, he was preserved by God and prepared through hardship for the kingdom that lay ahead. 1Sa 21:10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish… Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. Saul’s fear of David had become open hostility. From his residence in Gibeah, he ordered men to surround David’s house and wait until morning to kill him, seeking to avoid public disturbance during the night. Psa 59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me… But David’s wife Michal warned him, Michal chose to protect her husband rather than cooperate with her father’s murderous plan. Her warning exposed the division within Saul’s own household and became the means by which David escaped. Act 23:16-22 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot,… “If you do not run for your life tonight, The danger was immediate. David could not remain in the house or expect Saul to abandon his purpose. 1Ki 19:3 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.… tomorrow you will be dead!” Saul’s order marked the beginning of David’s life as a fugitive from the king who should have defended him. David’s escape preserved the man God had chosen to succeed Saul. 1Ki 19:2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying,… So Michal lowered David from the window, Saul’s daughter chose to protect her husband when Saul’s men came to kill him. Acting quickly and at personal risk, Michal helped David escape from their home, revealing the deep division within Saul’s household. Her intervention preserved David’s life at a critical moment in God’s unfolding purpose for Israel. Jos 2:15-16 Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window,… and he ran away and escaped. David’s escape began a long period of displacement and danger as Saul pursued him. Though anointed to become king, David would not seize the throne by force. Instead, he endured hardship, gathered loyal followers, and learned to depend on the Lord’s protection while Saul’s attempts to destroy him repeatedly failed. 1Sa 22:1 So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam.… Then Michal took a household idol Michal used a teraphim from David’s household to help conceal his escape. Such idols were associated with idolatrous practices and show that these influences had not been fully removed from Israelite homes, even within Saul’s family. Gen 31:19 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep,… and laid it in the bed, She arranged it to make Saul’s messengers believe David was ill and unable to rise. Her quick action delayed their pursuit while David fled. 2Ki 4:21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God.… placed some goat hair on its head, The goat hair gave the figure the appearance of a man lying in bed, making the deception more convincing from a distance. Gen 27:16 She also put the skins of the young goats… and covered it with a garment. The covering completed the appearance of a sleeping person. Michal’s intervention preserved David from Saul’s immediate attempt on his life and allowed God’s anointed king to escape. Gen 9:23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment and placed it… When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Saul’s hostility had moved from suspicion to an open attempt on David’s life. Though Saul still held the throne, he recognized David as a growing threat to his dynasty and resisted God’s purpose for David. The arrest party reflects Saul’s royal authority and his determination to remove David before he could escape. 2Ki 1:9-12 Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company… Michal said, “He is ill.” Michal delayed the messengers by claiming that David was too sick to be taken. As Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, she stood between competing loyalties, yet she chose to protect David. Her deception gave him time to flee from Saul’s house. 2Sa 13:5-6 Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed…”… But Saul sent the messengers back to see David Saul refused to abandon his effort to seize David. His jealousy had hardened into murderous fear as David’s growing favor with the people exposed Saul’s failing rule. The king used his servants to carry out his will, treating David as an enemy rather than the faithful servant who had protected Israel. Psa 59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me… and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed Believing David was confined by illness, Saul ordered the men to carry him away without regard for his condition. Michal had already used David’s bed in her successful deception, buying him time to escape. 2Sa 4:5-7 Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite… so I can kill him.” Saul openly revealed his purpose. Though David had done him no wrong, Saul was determined to destroy the man God had chosen to succeed him. 1Sa 18:11 and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David… And when the messengers entered, Saul’s agents came to David’s house expecting to arrest him at once. Their arrival shows the seriousness of Saul’s determination to kill David and the immediate danger from which Michal had helped him escape. Jos 2:1-7 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies… there was the idol in the bed Michal had placed a household idol under the covers to give the appearance that David was still lying there. The idol was part of the household’s possessions and served in her deception of Saul’s men. Gen 31:19-35 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep,… with the goat hair on its head. Goat hair was arranged to resemble David’s hair, completing the disguise. Michal’s quick action delayed the messengers long enough for David to flee. Gen 27:15-16 And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house… And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? Saul’s anger reveals that he regarded Michal’s aid to David as betrayal. As both her father and Israel’s king, he expected her loyalty in his efforts to capture David, but Michal chose to protect her husband from Saul’s violence. Jos 2:4-6 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.… You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Saul now openly calls David his enemy. David’s success, the people’s growing regard for him, and Saul’s repeated failed attempts to kill him had turned Saul’s fear into determined hostility. David’s escape again shows that Saul could not overcome God’s purpose for him. 1Sa 20:35-42 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field… Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’” Michal defended herself by claiming that David had threatened her life. The account does not record David making such a threat, but her answer diverted Saul’s anger and concealed her willing role in David’s escape. Her decision placed her in conflict with her father and exposed the divided loyalties within Saul’s household. 1Sa 20:1-3 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan… So David ran away and escaped. Saul’s repeated attempts to kill David forced him to leave the court and become a fugitive. Though David had served Saul faithfully, the king’s jealousy turned him into an enemy. David fled rather than seize the throne by force, trusting God to preserve him until the time appointed. 1Sa 20:1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan… And he went to Samuel at Ramah David sought Samuel, the prophet who had anointed him and who understood God’s purpose for Israel’s future king. Ramah was Samuel’s home and a center of prophetic activity. 1Sa 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home… and told him all that Saul had done to him. David gave Samuel a full account of Saul’s hostility, seeking counsel and safety rather than revenge. Samuel’s presence reminded David that God had not abandoned His chosen servant. Psa 142:2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble… Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. Naioth appears to have been a place where Samuel led a company of prophets. There David found temporary refuge among men devoted to the worship and service of God while Saul continued to pursue him. 1Sa 10:5-6 After that you will come to Gibeah of God,… When Saul was told Saul continued to track David’s movements, determined to remove the man God had chosen to succeed him. 1Sa 24:1 After Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines,… that David was at Naioth David had fled to Samuel and found refuge among the prophets gathered under Samuel’s leadership. 1Sa 20:1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan… in Ramah, Samuel’s home region became a place of safety for David, setting Saul’s failing rule against the Lord’s protection of His anointed servant. 1Sa 7:17 Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there… he sent messengers to seize him. Saul’s jealousy and fear of David had grown into open hostility. Though king, he repeatedly relied on others to carry out what he would not do himself. David remained under God’s protection despite Saul’s authority and determination. 2Ki 1:9-12 Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company… But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, The messengers arrived at Naioth, where a company of prophets was engaged in public prophetic worship. Their gathering showed that the Lord was preserving spiritual leadership in Israel during Saul’s troubled reign. 1Sa 10:5-6 After that you will come to Gibeah of God,… with Samuel leading them, Samuel still exercised recognized spiritual authority over the nation. Having anointed both Saul and David, he stood as a witness that the Lord, not the king, directed Israel’s future. 1Sa 3:19-20 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him,… the Spirit of God came upon them, God intervened directly, stopping Saul’s men before they could harm David. The Spirit’s power overcame their mission and redirected them from violence to prophetic utterance. 1Sa 11:6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God… and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy. The men sent to arrest David became participants in the worship they had come to disrupt. Saul’s command could not prevail against God’s purpose, and David was preserved from capture. 1Sa 10:10-11 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah,… When this was reported to Saul, Saul learned that the men he had sent to seize David had been overcome by the Spirit of God at Naioth in Ramah. Rather than recognizing God’s protection of David, Saul continued to view David as a threat to his throne. 1Sa 22:9 But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself… he sent more messengers, Determined to carry out his plan, Saul dispatched another group of men to bring David back. His repeated efforts reveal the depth of his fear, jealousy, and refusal to abandon his pursuit. Num 22:15-17 Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous… but they began to prophesy as well. Like the first group, these messengers came under the power of God and joined the prophetic activity surrounding Samuel. God prevented Saul’s servants from harming David and showed that Saul’s authority could not overcome His purpose. 1Sa 10:10-12 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah,… So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, Saul persisted despite two unmistakable failures. His actions display increasing desperation as he continued to resist what God was accomplishing through David. 2Ki 1:13-15 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men.… and even they began to prophesy. The third group was likewise stopped by the Spirit of God. Saul’s plans repeatedly failed because David remained under God’s protection, while Saul’s determination to destroy him moved him further from obedience. Act 19:6 And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit… Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah Determined to seize David after his messengers failed, Saul went personally to Ramah, where Samuel had given David refuge. His arrival brought Israel’s rejected king into direct conflict with the prophet who had anointed his successor. 1Sa 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home… and came to the large cistern at Secu, Saul stopped at a recognized water source near Ramah, a practical landmark in the region and a place where travelers could obtain information. 2Sa 23:20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor… where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” Saul’s question reveals that he knew David was under Samuel’s protection and intended to confront them both. His pursuit of David had become an open challenge to Samuel’s authority and to God’s choice of David. 1Sa 9:18-19 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked… “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told. Naioth was the place where Samuel was staying among the company of prophets. Saul now approached a setting marked by prophetic ministry, where the Lord would again restrain his efforts against David. 1Sa 10:5-6 After that you will come to Gibeah of God,… So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. Naioth was the prophetic community at Ramah, Samuel’s hometown in Benjamin. David had found refuge there with Samuel, and Saul came intending to seize him. His arrival at this place of prophetic ministry heightens the contrast between Saul’s violent purpose and God’s protection of David. 1Sa 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home… But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, God intervened directly, restraining Saul despite his determination to capture David. The same Spirit who had once marked Saul’s early calling now overruled his hostile intentions, showing that Saul could not act against David apart from God’s permission. 1Sa 10:10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah,… and he walked along prophesying Saul spoke under the Spirit’s influence as he traveled. Rather than directing his men or pursuing David, he was compelled into prophetic utterance. His pursuit was halted by God’s power. 1Sa 10:11 When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him… until he came to Naioth in Ramah. Saul remained under the Spirit’s control all the way to Naioth, unable to carry out his plan. David’s safety rested not in human strength or concealment but in God’s rule over Saul and every threat against him. 1Sa 25:1 When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him;… Then Saul stripped off his robes Saul’s removal of his royal garments publicly displayed his humiliation and loss of dignity. The king who came seeking David was overcome by God’s Spirit and rendered powerless before Samuel. 1Sa 15:27-28 As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem… and also prophesied before Samuel. God’s Spirit restrained Saul from carrying out his violent purpose. In Samuel’s presence, Saul was compelled into prophetic activity rather than acting as a king pursuing his enemy. 1Sa 10:6-7 Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you… And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. Saul likely lay without his outer garments, exposed and helpless for an extended time. His condition showed that God had completely interrupted his plans and brought the rejected king low. Isa 20:2-4 The LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz,… That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” The saying expressed surprise that Saul, now hostile to God’s chosen servant, had again been overtaken by the Spirit. It underscored God’s sovereign control over Saul despite his rebellion. 1Sa 10:11-12 When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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