1 Kings 18:10
And the day after the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand,
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Post diem autem alteram, invasit spiritus Dei malus Saul, et prophetabat in medio domus suæ : David autem psallebat manu sua, sicut per singulos dies. Tenebatque Saul lanceam,
- Septuagint (Swete)
- The Septuagint has no verse matching this one here: it lacks the verse, or carries it elsewhere in its own order.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיְהִ֣י מִֽמָּחֳרָ֗ת וַתִּצְלַ֣ח רוּחַ֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים רָעָ֤ה אֶל שָׁאוּל֙ וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֣א בְתוֹךְ הַבַּ֔יִת וְדָוִ֛ד מְנַגֵּ֥ן בְּיָד֖וֹ כְּי֣וֹם בְּי֑וֹם וְהַחֲנִ֖ית בְּיַד שָׁאֽוּל
Haydock's commentary
Prophesied. Acted the prophet in a mad manner, (Challoner) like an enthusiast, (Calmet; 2 Kings ix. 11.) or one possessed by the devil, as the Sybil was agitated by Apollo. Et rabie fera corda tument. (Virgil, Æneid vi.) To alleviate his distress, David took up his harp. (Haydock)
Spear. With this weapon he was generally armed, chap. xix. 10., and xxvi. 7. "It was used as a diadem formerly, and the ancients adored spears as gods." (Justin. xliii.)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine On Baptism, Against the Donatists, Chapter 9
Chapter 9. 12. Let them see how many things, and what important things, are of no avail, if a certain single thing be wanting, and let them see what that one thing is. And herein let them hear not my words, but those of the apostle: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." What does it profit them, therefore, if they have both the voice of angels in the sacred mysteries, and the gift of prophecy, as had Caiaphas and Saul, that so they may be found prophesying, of whom Holy Scripture testifies that they were worthy of condemnation? If they not only know, but even possess the sacraments, as Simon Magus did; if they h …
St Gregory the Great The Book of Pastoral Rule, How the poor and the rich should be admonished
Sometimes, however, even a proud rich man is to be propitiated by blandishment in exhortation, since hard sores also are usually softened by soothing fomentations, and the rage of the insane is often restored to health by the bland words of the physician, and, when they are pleasantly humoured, the disease of their insanity is mitigated. For neither is this to be lightly regarded, that, when an adverse spirit entered into Saul, David took his harp and assuaged his madness ( 1 Sam. xviii. 10 ). For what is intimated by Saul but the elation of men in power, and what by David but the humble life of the holy? When, then, Saul is seized by the unclean spirit, his madness is appeased by David’s singing; since, when the senses of men in power are turned to frenzy by elation, it is meet that they should be recalled to a healthy state by the calmness of our speech, as by the sweetness of a harp. …