DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2014 June 23
Saul Before Samuel and the Prophets (1812)
Benjamin West (1738-1820)
Neoclassical Style
The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, USA
Image Source: The Huntington Library E-Museum
Explanation: In 1 Samuel 19 Saul begins to more aggressively try to kill David. Saul told his son Jonathan and the rest of his court to slay David. Jonathan reported this to David and told him to hide himself until he could speak to his father about the matter. Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul and reminded him of all the good things David had done for him and all of Israel, even risking his life. Saul promised that no harm would come to David; and David returned to Saul's court (1-7). War broke out again with the Philistines; and David made a great slaughter among them. When David returned to the court after the battle, an evil spirit came upon Saul; and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with a javelin, as he had in a past occasion. But David fled. (8-10). Saul also sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. But Michal, Saul's daughter and David's wife, foiled the plot by letting David down through a window and placing an idol in David's bed, in imitation of him. (This idol may have belonged to her being kept as a token of her inheritance rights. She may also have worshiped it). She told the messengers that David was sick in bed. But Saul told them to bring him and his bed so that he could slay him. When the messengers discovered the ruse and reported it to Saul, Saul asked Michal why she had deceived him and let his enemy escape -- a clear admission by Saul that he was an enemy of David; [see Psalm 59 & perhaps Psalms 7, if "Cush" in the superscription refers to Saul or one of his courtiers. Psalm 11 and Psalm 25 also fit this and similar occasions in David's life].
Michal said that David had threatened to kill her -- a lie that portrayed David as a vicious man, further damaging his reputation (11-17). David fled to Samuel in Naioth ["dwellings"] in Ramah, where the prophets in Samuel's School of the Prophets lived. To that place Saul sent three successive bands of messengers to kill David, all of whom were overcome by the Spirit of God and prophesied. At last Saul came in person; and he too was overcome and lay down naked all that day and all night prophesying. "Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?" See also 1 Samuel 10:11-12 for the first instance of this saying (18-24).
1 Samuel 19
1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.
4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.
9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
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.
12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
13 And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
16 And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.
17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
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.
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.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?
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