1 Samuel 19 21

1 Samuel 19:21 kjv

And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

1 Samuel 19:21 nkjv

And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

1 Samuel 19:21 niv

Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied.

1 Samuel 19:21 esv

When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.

1 Samuel 19:21 nlt

When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time.

1 Samuel 19 verses

1 Samuel 19 21 Meaning

1 Samuel 19:21 narrates two distinct incidents in King Saul's persistent pursuit of David: the sending of a second and then a third contingent of messengers. Upon their arrival at Naioth in Ramah, where David was sheltered among prophets led by Samuel, these messengers were inexplicably overtaken by the Spirit of God and began to prophesy, thereby rendering them unable to seize David. This demonstrates God's consistent divine intervention, frustrating Saul's attempts to harm His anointed, David.

1 Samuel 19 21 Context

Chapter 19 of 1 Samuel depicts Saul's escalating determination to kill David, driven by envy and paranoia. David, initially escaping an attempted spearing, then fleeing his house with Michal's help, seeks refuge with Samuel in Naioth at Ramah. Samuel presided over a company of prophets there. This served as a spiritual sanctuary. Saul, receiving intelligence about David's location, repeatedly sends messengers to apprehend him. However, upon encountering Samuel and the prophets, each successive group of messengers is unexpectedly overcome by the Spirit of God, falling into a state of prophetic utterance and thus failing to carry out Saul's wicked command. This verse details the second and third such attempts.

1 Samuel 19 21 Word analysis

• When Saul was told (וַיִּגַּד לְשָׁאוּל - vayiggad l'Shaul): The Hebrew verb is naggad, meaning "to report" or "to be told." It signifies that Saul received intelligence regarding David's whereabouts, indicating his ongoing, desperate efforts to track him. This highlights his obsession and paranoia against David.
• he sent other messengers (וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֲחֵרִים - vayyishlach mal'akhim acherim): The verb shalach means "to send," and malakhim refers to "messengers" (also "angels"). The term acherim means "other," implying these were a second, distinct group, reinforcing Saul's unyielding resolve despite the first group's failure (v. 20). This underscores Saul's growing impatience and determination.
• and they also prophesied (וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ גַּם הֵמָּה - vayyitnab'u gam hemmah): The verb vayyitnab'u comes from the Hithpael stem of naba (נבא), meaning "to prophesy" or "to act as a prophet." The Hithpael suggests an intensive, often ecstatic or divinely induced state. "They also" emphasizes the repetitive nature of this phenomenon. It indicates a sudden, overpowering spiritual experience, a direct work of God's Spirit, making them incapable of fulfilling their secular, violent mission. This was not a willed action on their part but an imposition of divine will. Scholars note this was a true prophetic experience, possibly involving spontaneous praise, not chaotic madness.
• Then Saul sent messengers again the third time (וַיֹּסֶף שָׁאוּל וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים שְׁלִשִׁית - vayyosef Shaul vayyishlach malakhim shlishit): Vayyosef means "he added" or "he continued/again," highlighting Saul's relentless, almost desperate, perseverance in his murderous plot. Shlishit explicitly states "a third time." This phrase reveals the escalating absurdity of Saul's attempts and God's consistent, unyielding protection of David. Saul's pride blinded him to the futility of his actions against God's will.
• and they also prophesied (וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ גַּם הֵמָּה - vayyitnab'u gam hemmah): The exact same phrase is repeated. The repetition powerfully underscores the irresistibility and consistency of divine intervention. It solidifies the point that no human force, no matter how persistent, can prevail against the sovereign Spirit of God when He acts to protect His chosen one. The irony is pronounced as agents sent to seize are instead seized by God.

• "he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.": This recurring pattern highlights a divine pattern of opposition to Saul's will. Each failed attempt signifies a stronger declaration of God's hand in protecting David and frustrating Saul. It portrays the sovereign power of God's Spirit in action, turning the instruments of human evil into involuntary witnesses of divine presence. This scene effectively acts as a direct theological polemic against the idea that a human king's authority or military power can override God's established plan. God demonstrates He is Lord over kings and their armies.

1 Samuel 19 21 Bonus section

This incident, particularly the collective "prophesying" of Saul's messengers and eventually Saul himself, is often discussed by scholars concerning the nature of ancient Israelite prophecy. It suggests that prophecy was not always a matter of foretelling the future but could be a state of being overcome by divine presence, marked by ecstatic utterances, praise, or altered behavior, which indicated the powerful working of God's Spirit. The phrase "Is Saul also among the prophets?" (first mentioned in 1 Sam 10:11, then echoed implicitly here and directly in 19:24) thus becomes profoundly ironic; earlier it signified Saul being empowered by God, now it signifies him (and his agents) being disarmed and restrained by God. This narrative also presents a spiritual struggle: Saul is actively influenced by a harmful spirit (1 Sam 16:14), while David and his protectors are under the direct, safeguarding influence of the Spirit of the Lord.

1 Samuel 19 21 Commentary

1 Samuel 19:21 succinctly illustrates the irresistible and protective power of the Holy Spirit against the schemes of King Saul. Despite successive attempts by Saul to apprehend David through different contingents of messengers, God's Spirit sovereignly intervened, causing each group to prophesy and thereby disabling them from fulfilling Saul's malicious command. This continuous divine interruption serves as a clear demonstration of God's unwavering commitment to guard His anointed, David, and frustrates human will when it opposes divine purpose. The verse powerfully underlines the futility of fighting against God's chosen and His plans, establishing God's supremacy over earthly authority.