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1 Samuel 16:23

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

Whenever the troubling spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play it with his hands. This would refresh Saul and make him feel better, and the troubling spirit would leave him.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse shows how David's music had a healing power that could calm King Saul's troubled mind and drive away his spiritual torment.

📚 Historical Context

In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel, King Saul had been chosen by God as Israel's first king but fell out of favor due to his disobedience, leading God to allow an evil spirit to torment him as a form of judgment. David, a young shepherd from Bethlehem who had secretly been anointed by the prophet Samuel as the future king, was brought to Saul's court because of his reputation as a talented musician. When David played the harp, it provided temporary relief from Saul's torment, illustrating how music was valued in ancient Israelite culture for its soothing effects.

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