King James Version

1 Samuel 16:23

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

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Hebrew

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וְהָיָ֗הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בִּֽהְי֤וֹתbihyotin beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “in be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.רֽוּחַruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).אֱלֹהִים֙elohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).שָׁא֔וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.וְלָקַ֥חvelaqachand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and take”, a completed action in a sequenceH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.דָּוִ֛דdavidDavidדָּוִדnoun, proper name — “David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַכִּנּ֖וֹרhakinorthe harpכִּנּוֹרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the harp”, the ordinary formH3658a harpharp.וְנִגֵּ֣ןvenigenand playנָגַןconjunction, verb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and play”, a completed actionH5059properly, to thrum, i.e. beat atune with the fingers; expectation. to play on astringed instrument; hence (generally), to make musicplayer on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel, play(-er, -ing).בְּיָד֑וֹbeyadvoin handיָדpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […וְרָוַ֤חveravachand largeרָוַחconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and large”, a completed actionH7304properly, to breathe freely, i.e. revive; by implication, to have ample roombe refreshed, large.לְשָׁאוּל֙leshaulto Shaulשָׁאוּלpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.וְט֣וֹבvetovand be betterטוֹבconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be better”, a completed actionH2895to be (transitively, do or make) good (or well) in the widest sensebe (do) better, cheer, be (do, seem) good, (make) goodly, [idiom] please, (be, do, go, play) well.ל֔וֹlvotoל֔וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toוְסָ֥רָהvesarahand turnסוּרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and turn”, a completed action in a sequenceH5493to turn off (literal or figurative)be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn…מֵעָלָ֖יוmealayvfrom aboveעַלpreposition, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “from above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…ר֥וּחַruchaangerרוּחַnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).הָרָעָֽהharaahthe badרַעdefinite article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “the bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Young’s Literal Translation

And it hath come to pass, in the spirit of [sadness from] God being on Saul, that David hath taken the harp, and played with his hand, and Saul hath refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him.

World English Bible

When the spirit from God was on Saul, David took the harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Darby Translation

And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Douay-Rheims

So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand: and Saul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῷ εἶναι πνεῦμα πονηρὸν ἐπὶ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἐλάμβανε Δαυὶδ τὴν κινύραν, καὶ ἔψαλλεν ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνέψυχε Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἀγαθὸν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀφίστατο ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρόν.