Question 1

Why did Saul want to kill David in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Saul wanted to kill David because jealousy and fear had taken over his heart. David had won battles, killed Goliath, and was loved by the people. Instead of being thankful for David’s help, Saul saw him as a threat to his throne. Even after Jonathan reminded Saul of all the good David had done, Saul’s envy kept coming back. This shows how sin and jealousy can twist a person’s thinking so badly that they try to harm someone who has only done them good.

Question 2

How did Jonathan show loyalty and friendship to David?

Accepted Answer

Jonathan showed deep loyalty by warning David about Saul’s plan and by speaking boldly to his own father on David’s behalf. He reminded Saul that David had not sinned against him and that killing him would be shedding innocent blood. Jonathan put truth and friendship ahead of his own position as the king’s son. He risked Saul’s anger to protect David. This gives a clear picture of real friendship, where someone is willing to stand up for you even when it is costly.

Question 3

Why did Michal deceive Saul’s messengers with an image in the bed?

Accepted Answer

Michal helped David escape because she knew he would be killed if he stayed. She let him down through a window and then used an image in the bed with a pillow of goats’ hair to make it look like David was still there and sick. When Saul’s messengers came, this bought David time to get away. Her choice raises questions about lying, but the story mainly shows the danger David was in and how far his own wife had to go to protect an innocent man from unjust violence.

Question 4

What does it mean that an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul?

Accepted Answer

This wording can feel hard to understand. It does not mean God is evil. It means God allowed a troubling spirit to come on Saul as part of judgment for his ongoing disobedience and hardened heart. When this happened, Saul’s dark moods and anger grew worse, and he tried again to kill David with a javelin. The passage shows that when someone keeps resisting God, their inner life can become more and more tormented, and their sin can spiral out in harmful ways.

Question 5

Why did David go to Samuel and the prophets in Ramah?

Accepted Answer

After escaping from Saul’s house, David went to Samuel in Ramah to tell him everything Saul had done. Samuel had anointed David earlier, so David likely saw him as a safe and wise guide in this crisis. They stayed together at Naioth, where a group of prophets was gathered. By going there, David put himself among people who sought God. The events that followed, where Saul’s messengers and Saul himself began to prophesy, showed that God was watching over David in that place.

Question 6

What is the meaning of Saul and his messengers prophesying instead of capturing David?

Accepted Answer

When Saul sent messengers to seize David, they found a group of prophets speaking under God’s Spirit, and the Spirit came on them too, so they prophesied instead of arresting David. This happened three times, and finally to Saul himself. It shows that God can overrule human plans in a direct way. Those who came to harm David ended up under God’s power, not their own. The scene makes it clear that no plan against someone God is protecting can succeed unless God allows it.

Question 7

Why is this passage important for understanding jealousy and friendship?

Accepted Answer

This passage puts jealousy and friendship side by side. Saul’s jealousy drives him to try to kill an innocent man who has only helped him and Israel. His envy keeps returning, even after he swears an oath. On the other hand, Jonathan’s friendship leads him to defend David, speak truth to power, and help keep David safe. Michal also acts to protect David. Together, these stories warn against letting jealousy rule the heart and show how faithful friends can be tools of God’s care.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s protection of David?

Accepted Answer

Again and again, David is kept from harm. He slips away from Saul’s javelin, he escapes through the window with Michal’s help, and when Saul sends men to capture him, God’s Spirit makes them, and finally Saul, prophesy instead. The passage shows that God’s care can work in quiet ways through friends and family, and also in very direct ways by stopping enemies in their tracks. Even when human power is set against someone, God’s purpose for that person cannot be overturned.

1 Samuel 19:1

And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

Saul Tries to Kill David

Saul Tries to Kill David

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1 Samuel 19:1

And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

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Saul Tries to Kill David

Saul Tries to Kill David

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