1 Samuel 18:10

SAUL'S FIRST ATTEMPT TO MURDER DAVID

"And on the morrow an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul cast the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice."

"Saul raved within his house." (1 Samuel 18:10). That `evil spirit' that came upon Saul bore a remarkable resemblance to paranoid insanity; but it was nevertheless a punishment inflicted by God Himself upon the wicked Saul. David might well have thought that the attempt of Saul to kill him was merely due to a temporary fit of madness, otherwise, he would hardly have exposed himself a second time to Saul's murderous actions.

"David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day" (1 Samuel 18:10). Notice that there is no war in progress at this point, giving strong support to the understanding that the preceding celebration that aroused Saul's jealousy came at the termination of an important phase of the Philistine war.

"Saul had his spear in his hand" (1 Samuel 18:10). "It seems that Saul held this weapon in his hand as a scepter, according to an ancient custom."[5]