1 Samuel 18:10

10. The evil spirit from God came upon Saul He relapsed into that state of demoniac possession described 1 Samuel 16:14.

He prophesied in the midst of the house The verb is here used in the Hithpael the reflective voice he acted the prophet. “In this way it is spoken of the seventy elders, and of Eldad and Medad in the camp, (Numbers 11:25-27;) of the music and dancing of the sons of the prophets, (1 Samuel 10:5;) of Saul’s participation in their exercises, (1 Samuel 10:6; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 10:13;) of the excited cries and violent contortions of the prophets of Baal, (1 Kings 18:29;) of the prophets who prophesied lies at Jerusalem, (Jeremiah 14:14;) and of those at Samaria who professed to be inspired by Baal. Jeremiah 23:13. So, too, it is the word employed by Ahab, who probably regarded with something like contempt the wish of Jehoshaphat to know Jehovah’s will. 1 Kings 22:8; 1 Kings 22:18. Occasionally, therefore, it is used in a good sense, though scarcely ever of real prophecy.” R.P. Smith’s Bampton Lecture, 1869.

Saul first became signalized among his neighbours by ecstatic prophesying, (1 Samuel 10:11,) but that former ecstasy was inspired by the holy Spirit of God. Now that Spirit has left him, and a foul demon occupies his place, and, accordingly, instead of hallowed ecstasy, his religious exercises resemble the frantic ravings of a madman. He utters impassioned cries, and, perhaps, falls prostrate on the floor and breathes forth his inner ravings like one holding communion with an unseen world. “The prophets, when under the power of inspiration, appear to have been greatly agitated, and to have exhibited writhings and spasmodic affections of the body like delirious persons. Hence the true prophet in 2 Kings 9:11, is called in scorn insane, a madman; and in Jeremiah 29:26 the two ideas are conjoined, raving and prophesying, spoken of a pretended prophet. For a like reason the Greeks and Latins apply words connected with raving, μαντις , furor, to the frenzied manner of soothsayers, poetic oracles,” etc. Gesenius.

David played… as at other times Seeking, as before, (1 Samuel 16:16,) to quell the mental ravings of the king, and drive out the demon that possessed him.