1 Samuel 19 · Verse 20

1 Samuel 19:20

And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
1 Samuel 19:20, King James Version

1 Samuel 19:20 in other translations

BSBhe sent messengers to capture him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
WEBSaul sent messengers to seize David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, God’s Spirit came on Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied.
ASVAnd Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
YLTAnd Saul sendeth messengers to take David, and they see the assembly of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing, set over them, and the Spirit of God is on Saul's messengers, and they prophesy--they also.
DARBYThen Saul sent messengers to take David; and they saw a company of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as president over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
BBEAnd Saul sent men to take David; and when they saw the band of prophets at work, with Samuel in his place at their head, the spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they became like prophets.
WebsterAnd Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

What does 1 Samuel 19:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 19:18-23

18-23. David fled, ... and came to Samuel to Ramah--Samuel was living in great retirement, superintending the school of the prophets, established in the little hamlet of Naioth, in the neighborhood of Ramah. It was a retreat congenial to the mind of David; but Saul, having found out his asylum, sent three successive bodies of men to apprehend him. The character of the place and the influence of the sacred exercises…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 19:18-23 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 The company of the prophets prophesying - Employed in religious exercises. Samuel - appointed over them - Being head or president of the school at this place. The Spirit of God was upon the messengers - They partook of the same influence, and joined in the same exercise; and thus were prevented from seizing David.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 19:11-24

Michal's stratagem to gain time till David got to a distance was allowable, but her falsehood had not even the plea of necessity to excuse it, and manifests that she was not influenced by the same spirit of piety which had dictated Jonathan's language to Saul. In flying to Samuel, David made God his refuge. Samuel, as a prophet, was best able to advise him what to do in this day of distress. He met with little rest…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 19:11-24 →

1 Samuel 19:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֨חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
שָׁא֣וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
מַלְאָכִים֮mal.'a.KhimmessengersH4397
לָקַ֣חַתla.Ka.chatto fetchH3947
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דָּוִד֒da.VidDavidH1732
וַיַּ֗רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
לַהֲקַ֤תla.ha.Kat[the] company ofH3862
הַנְּבִיאִים֙ha.ne.vi.'Imthe prophetsH5030
נִבְּאִ֔יםni.be.'ImprophesyingH5012
וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕לu.she.mu.'Eland SamuelH8050
עֹמֵ֥ד'o.Med[was] standingH5975
נִצָּ֖בni.TzavchiefH5324
עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם'a.lei.Hemover themH5921
וַתְּהִ֞יva.te.Hiand it wasH1961
עַֽל\־'al-onH5921
מַלְאֲכֵ֤יmal.'a.Khei[the] messengers ofH4397
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
ר֣וּחַRu.ach[the] spirit ofH7307
אֱלֹהִ֔ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּvai.yit.na.be.'Uand they prophesiedH5012
גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571
הֵֽמָּה\׃He.mahtheyH1992

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 19:20

  • Joel 2:28

    And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

  • John 7:32

    The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

  • 1 Samuel 10:5-6

    After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

  • 1 Corinthians 14:24-25

    But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

  • 1 Corinthians 14:3

    But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

  • 1 Samuel 10:10

    And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

  • John 7:45-52

    Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? …

  • Numbers 11:25-26

    And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

  • 1 Samuel 19:14

    And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

  • 1 Samuel 19:11

    Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sent messengers.
11,14; Joh 7:32,45
when they.
10:5,6,10; Nu 11:25,26; Joe 2:28; Joh 7:32,45,46-52
1Co 14:3,24,25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 19:19

    And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

  • 1 Samuel 19:20

    And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

  • 1 Samuel 19:21

    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.

Read all of 1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y envió Saúl mensajeros que trajesen á David, los cuales vieron una compañía de profetas que profetizaban, y á Samuel que estaba allí, y los presidía. Y fué el espíritu de Dios sobre los mensajeros de Saúl, y ellos también profetizaron.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Saül envoya des messagers pour prendre David; et ils virent une assemblée de prophètes qui prophétisaient, et Samuel se tenait là, les présidant. Et l’Esprit de Dieu vint sur les messagers de Saül, et eux aussi ils prophétisèrent.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da sandte Saul Boten, um David zu holen. Als sie aber die Versammlung der Propheten sahen, welche weissagten, und Samuel als Vorsteher über sie dabeistehen, da kam der Geist Gottes über die Boten Sauls, und auch sie weissagten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Misit ergo Saul lictores, ut raperent David: qui cum vidissent cuneum prophetarum vaticinantium, et Samuelem stantem super eos, factus est etiam spiritus Domini in illis, et prophetare cœperunt etiam ipsi.