1 Samuel 16:15
New International Version
Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

New Living Translation
Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you.

English Standard Version
And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.

Berean Standard Bible
Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.

King James Bible
And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

New King James Version
And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.

New American Standard Bible
Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you.

NASB 1995
Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

NASB 1977
Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

Legacy Standard Bible
Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

Amplified Bible
Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Christian Standard Bible
so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

American Standard Version
And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Servants of Shaul said to him: “Behold, your Servants are before you

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, and evil spirit from the Lord torments thee.

Contemporary English Version
"It's an evil spirit from God that's frightening you," Saul's officials told him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

English Revised Version
And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul's officials told him, "An evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Good News Translation
His servants said to him, "We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you.

International Standard Version
Saul's servants told him, "Look, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul's servants said unto him: 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

Literal Standard Version
and the servants of Saul say to him, “Now behold, a spirit of sadness [from] God is terrifying you;

Majority Standard Bible
Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.

New American Bible
So the servants of Saul said to him: “Look! An evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

NET Bible
Then Saul's servants said to him, "Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!"

New Revised Standard Version
And Saul’s servants said to him, “See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

New Heart English Bible
Saul's servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

World English Bible
Saul’s servants said to him, “See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

Young's Literal Translation
and the servants of Saul say unto him, 'Lo, we pray thee, a spirit of sadness from God is terrifying thee;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Serves Saul
14After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him. 15Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 16:14
After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.

1 Samuel 16:16
Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well."


Treasury of Scripture

And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

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Attendants Evil Sadness Saul Saul's Servants Spirit Terrifying Troubles Troubleth Troubling
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Attendants Evil Sadness Saul Saul's Servants Spirit Terrifying Troubles Troubleth Troubling
1 Samuel 16
1. Samuel sent by God, under pretense of a sacrifice, comes to Bethlehem
6. His human judgment is reproved
11. He anoints David
15. Saul sends for David to quiet his evil spirit














(15) An evil spirit from God.--The form in which the evil spirit manifested itself in Saul was apparently an incurable melancholy, which at times blazed forth in fits of uncontrollable jealous anger. When Saul's attendants, his officers, and those about his person, perceived the mental malady under which their king was evidently suffering, they counselled that he should try whether the evil influence which troubled him could not be charmed away by music.

There is no doubt but that King Saul's nervous, excitable temperament was peculiarly subject to such influences. We have some striking instances of this power exercised by sacred music over the king in the incidents related in 1Samuel 10:10; 1Samuel 19:23-24, where the songs and chaunts of the pupils of the prophetic schools had so powerful an influence over Saul. The solemn declaration of God through his prophet Samuel, that the kingdom was taken away from him and his house, weighed upon his naturally nervous and excitable mind. He became gloomy, and suspicious of his dearest friends, and, as we know, at times sought to take their lives; at times would command terrible massacres, such as that of the priests at Nob (1Samuel 22:17-19). As the sad life advanced, we see the nobler traits in his character growing fainter, and the evil becoming more and more obvious. It was a species of insanity, fatal alike to the poor victim of the malady and to the prosperity of the kingdom over which he ruled. History gives us not a few similar instances of monarchs given up to the "evil spirit from God," and who, in consequence, became a prey to insanity in one form or other.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Saul's
שָׁא֖וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

servants
עַבְדֵֽי־ (‘aḇ·ḏê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

said
וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֵלָ֑יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Surely
הִנֵּה־ (hin·nêh-)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

a spirit
רֽוּחַ־ (rū·aḥ-)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

of distress
רָעָ֖ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

from God
אֱלֹהִ֛ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

is tormenting you.
מְבַעִתֶּֽךָ׃ (mə·ḇa·‘it·te·ḵā)
Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1204: To fall upon, startle, terrify


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OT History: 1 Samuel 16:15 Saul's servants said to him See now (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 16:14
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