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An evilרָעָהspiritרוּחַof YHWHיְהוָהwasוַתְּהִיuponאֶלSaul,שָׁאוּלas heוְהוּאwas sittingיוֹשֵׁבin his houseבְּבֵיתוֹwith his spearוַחֲנִיתוֹin his hand;בְּיָדוֹand Davidוְדָוִדwas playingמְנַגֵּןwith his hand.בְּיָד
1 Samuel 19:9
Study it in the app“An evil spirit of YHWH was upon Saul, as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.”
With the Hebrew beneath
1 Samuel 19:9, word by word
- An evilרָעָהraa
evil
What is evil, the opposite of good.
Where else “raa” appears- spiritרוּחַruach
spirit
What moves a person inside: their life, their mood.
Where else “ruach” appears- of YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- wasתְּהִיtehi
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “tehi” appears- Saulשָׁאוּלshaul
Saul
Saul, the name of several people. The best known is the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of Israel. A king of Edom and a son of Simeon also bear it. It means "asked for".
Where else “shaul” appears- was sittingיוֹשֵׁבyoshev
sit
To sit; or sit on the throne to reign.
Where else “yoshev” appears- in his houseבֵיתvet
house
A building to live in, or an enclosed place to keep something or someone.
Where else “vet” appears- with his spearחֲנִיתchanit
spear
A spear: a long weapon with a point, for striking at close range or for throwing.
Where else “chanit” appears- in his handיָדyad
hand
The part of the body with which one takes, gives and works; also what one does.
Where else “yad” appears- and Davidדָוִדdavid
David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
Where else “david” appears- was playingמְנַגֵּןmenagen
play strings
Play a stringed instrument, plucking the strings with the fingers, as on a lyre; also make music in general.
Where else “menagen” appears
Translation note
Word for word: “a spirit of YHWH, evil.” See 16:14, where the text says that it came “from YHWH.”
The context
8Again there was war; and David went out and fought against the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, and they fled from before him.
9 · This verse (above)
10Saul sought to strike with the spear David and the wall, but he slipped away from before Saul, and he drove the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.