And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David; but Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David.
verse value 3398
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "his·son" (בְּנוֹ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·all·his·servants" (וְאֶל־כׇּל־עֲבָדָ֔יו, 10 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·to·all·his·servants" (וְאֶל־כׇּל־עֲבָדָ֔יו). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Jonathan" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר [and·spoke] (222) + שָׁא֗וּל [Saul] (337) + אֶל־יוֹנָתָ֤ן [to·Jonathan] (547) + בְּנוֹ֙ [his·son] (58) + וְאֶל־כׇּל־עֲבָדָ֔יו [and·to·all·his·servants] (179) + לְהָמִ֖ית [to·put·to·death] (485) + אֶת־דָּוִ֑ד [David] (415) + וִיהֽוֹנָתָן֙ [and·Jonathan] (527) + בֶּן־שָׁא֔וּל [son·of·Saul] (389) + חָפֵ֥ץ [delights] (178) + בְּדָוִ֖ד [in·David] (16) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 3398.
Metzudat David
to kill David. He sought this with cunning and through a seemingly unintentional act, so that it would not be known that by the king’s decree it was accomplished.
"He desired David" – in his success and in his well-being.
Malbim
"And he spoke" — after he had desired to kill him unintentionally with his spear, and by means of the Philistine sword, but it did not succeed in his hand; he then desired to kill him intentionally through his agents. But Jonathan desired David and revealed the matter to David.
And Jonathan told David, saying: ‘Saul my father seeks to slay you; now therefore, I pray you, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.
verse value 5384
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָבִ֖י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "my·father" (אָבִ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jonathan" (יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·kill·you" (לַהֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ), "take-heed·please" (הִשָּׁמֶר־נָ֣א), "and·you·will·be·withdrawed" (וְנַחְבֵּֽאתָ). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root סתר ("in·a·secret·place") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·kill·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיַּגֵּ֤ד [and·told] (23) + יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙ [Jonathan] (521) + לְדָוִ֣ד [to·David] (44) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + מְבַקֵּ֛שׁ [seeking] (442) + שָׁא֥וּל [Saul] (337) + אָבִ֖י [my·father] (13) + לַהֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ [to·kill·you] (505) + וְעַתָּה֙ [now] (481) + הִשָּׁמֶר־נָ֣א [take-heed·please] (596) + בַבֹּ֔קֶר [in·the·morning] (304) + וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֥ [and·abide] (718) + בַסֵּ֖תֶר [in·a·secret·place] (662) + וְנַחְבֵּֽאתָ [and·you·will·be·withdrawed] (467) = 5384.
Metzudat David
“Take heed in the morning.” This means: Remember my words tomorrow morning, and sit in seclusion and hide yourself.
Metzudat Zion
And you hide. You will sit in hiding.
Malbim
The questions: Why does it say "he shall keep watch" specifically in the morning?
“Seeking strategies:”
"Take heed in the morning," for [Saul] desired to kill him while he was still on his bed and his weapons were not in his hand, as it is stated (in verse 12):
"In a secret place" — in a hidden place that is known to no man; and even in that place thou shalt hide thyself from them that pass by.
And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father of you; and if I see aught, I will tell you.’
verse value 3794
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·stand" (וְעָמַדְתִּ֣י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 67: and·I, and·I. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "I·will·go·out" (אֵצֵ֜א), "and·I·will·stand" (וְעָמַדְתִּ֣י), "to·hand·of·my·father" (לְיַד־אָבִ֗י). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·my·father" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "I·will·speak" (root דבר, 113x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
Near my father. Close to my father — einshe'yesh in the foreign tongue.
Radak
“Beside my father.” “To the place of my father” means to the place where he always goes out, or its meaning is “beside” literally, and it is like “which leaned on the king’s hand” (2 Kings 7:2). And Targum Jonathan renders: “And I will arise to my father.” And its interpretation is: “In the field where you are,” because Saul was accustomed to go out to that field on that day. Therefore, Jonathan commanded David to hide in that field, so that he would hear the good words that he [Jonathan] would speak to his father on his [David’s] behalf. And as for what he said, “And I will tell you” — if it happens that you do not hear our words, I will tell you what he [Saul] answers me.
Metzudat David
“Beside my father.” To the place of my father, adjacent to him.
"In the field, etc." Since it was his custom to stroll in the morning, in that very field where Jonathan had commanded David to hide himself there.
In you. For your sake:
And I saw what. He means to say: What will he answer me? And I will tell you immediately, while you are near to me, hidden in that field.
Malbim
The question is: What he said, “I will speak to you,” contradicts the general rule that we have, that every utterance followed by the letter bet is for evil?
“And I will go out, etc., into the field, so that if you need to flee, you may flee immediately. And I will speak about you” (Know that any speech followed by the connective bet indicates that one speaks ill of another, as in “And Miriam spoke against Moses,” for we spoke against the Lord and against you, and we have explained this well elsewhere). This means: I will speak ill of you, and I will see whether my father agrees; and through this I will know the truth that is in his heart, as will be explained.
And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him: ‘Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his work has been very good towards you;
verse value 2430
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 82 letters. Notable word values: "sinned" (חָטָא֙) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 2430 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jonathan" (יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 16: in·David, against·David. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "do·not·sin" (אַל־יֶחֱטָ֨א), "sinned" (חָטָא֙), "His·works" (מַעֲשָׂ֖יו). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "in·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 14 words.
Metzudat David
"In David, good." Because of David, a good thing is said, to teach in his merit:
"Let him not sin." In the death of David:
"And even his deeds"—it is not enough that he did not sin against you; rather, even his deeds are good for you.
Malbim
“Jonathan spoke to David” — this implies that he began the conversation with criticism, for example, by saying: “David is a man who recklessly endangers his life and risks his soul for nothing, which is not fitting for an upright person.” However, this very trait was pleasing to Saul, his father; that is to say, it was favorable in Saul’s eyes. After opening with reproach, Jonathan turned the matter around and said to him: “If so, let not the king sin against his servant, against David, since he is a man who constantly risks his life for your sake. Even though this behavior is bad in itself—handing oneself over to danger—and constitutes a sin against himself, nevertheless he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions are very beneficial to you. He acts in such and such a manner, risking his life like a reckless person, and this is good for you; no harm will come to you from this, only benefit.”
for he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and Hashem wrought a great victory for all Israel; you saw it, and did rejoice; wherefore then will you sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?’
verse value 7493
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 87 letters. Notable word values: "and·struck" (וַיַּ֣ךְ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "and·struck" (וַיַּ֣ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·Philistine" (אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗י, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "in·his·ladle" (בְכַפּ֜וֹ), "and·you·rejoiced" (וַתִּשְׂמָ֑ח), "one·shall·sin" (תֶֽחֱטָא֙). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "you·saw" (root ראה, 82x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root דם ("in·blood") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·you·rejoiced', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Radak
And he set his life in his hand. Its Targum [translation] is: "And he delivered his soul as if upon a plate to be killed."
Metzudat David
“With his hand.” This is a parable, and he meant to say: Just as one who places something in his palm is close to losing it immediately upon opening his hand, so too he endangered his life, bringing it close to being lost, and through him God brought salvation to Israel.
Malbim
"And he put" — He added to say: also in that he put his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, which also stems from his being indifferent to his life and hastening to go to a place of danger; nevertheless, a good outcome grew from this: a) for the entire congregation of Israel, as it is written, "And the Lord saved all Israel..." b) for you, "You saw and rejoiced." He added to say: And even if he is not upright in your eyes, still, why should you sin with innocent blood to kill him... for no reason, since he does not deserve the death penalty? Therefore, from his reproach, one comes to learn in his favor and to remove the enmity.
And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore: ‘As Hashem lives, he shall not be put to death.’
verse value 2688
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "Saul" (שָׁא֖וּל, 4 letters) and the longest is "Jonathan" (יְהוֹנָתָ֑ן, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 337: Saul, Saul. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "he·shall·not·die" (אִם־יוּמָֽת). The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "living·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "he·shall·not·die" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jonathan', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע [and·he·heard] (426) + שָׁא֖וּל [Saul] (337) + בְּק֣וֹל [voice] (138) + יְהוֹנָתָ֑ן [Jonathan] (521) + וַיִּשָּׁבַ֣ע [and·swore] (388) + שָׁא֔וּל [Saul] (337) + חַי־יְהֹוָ֖ה [living·Hashem] (44) + אִם־יוּמָֽת [he·shall·not·die] (497) = 2688.
Malbim
(6-7) "And he heard..." — And he was before him as yesterday and the day before; and it was not in his thought to put him to death.
And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as beforetime.
verse value 4918
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 82 letters. The shortest word is "to·David" (לְדָוִ֔ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·the·words" (כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 521: Jonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "all·the·words" (כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים). The root יהונתן appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
And there was war again; and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
verse value 2722
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "and·struck" (וַיַּ֤ךְ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֜ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·the·Philistines" (בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·she·added" (וַתּ֥וֹסֶף). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "with·the·Philistines" (root פלשתי, 124x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·be', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 10 words. Full calculation: וַתּ֥וֹסֶף [and·she·added] (552) + הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה [battle] (128) + לִֽהְי֑וֹת [to·be] (451) + וַיֵּצֵ֨א [and·he·went·out] (107) + דָוִ֜ד [David] (14) + וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם [and·he·fought] (94) + בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים [with·the·Philistines] (862) + וַיַּ֤ךְ [and·struck] (36) + בָּהֶם֙ [against·them] (47) + מַכָּ֣ה [blow] (65) + גְדוֹלָ֔ה [great] (48) + וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ [and·they·fled] (132) + מִפָּנָֽיו [from·his·face] (186) = 2722.
Malbim
And the aforementioned war was intensified because he cut off a hundred Philistine foreskins.
And an evil spirit from Hashem was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
verse value 2735
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "spirit·of" (ר֨וּחַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Saul" (אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל, 6 letters). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַתְּהִי֩ [and·it·was] (421) + ר֨וּחַ [spirit·of] (214) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + רָעָה֙ [evil] (275) + אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל [to·Saul] (368) + וְהוּא֙ [and·he] (18) + בְּבֵית֣וֹ [in·his·house] (420) + יֹשֵׁ֔ב [sitting] (312) + וַחֲנִית֖וֹ [and·his·spear] (480) + בְּיָד֑וֹ [in·his·hand] (22) + וְדָוִ֖ד [and·David] (20) + מְנַגֵּ֥ן [playing] (143) + בְּיָֽד [hand] (16) = 2735.
Malbim
"And it came to pass..." and through this, the fear was renewed in him a second time, even though he had sworn not to kill him. "And he was sitting in his house" means that there were now two differences from the first time when he intended to strike him with his spear (as stated above, 18:10): a) There, the spear came into his hand while David was already playing, as it says there, "And David was playing... and the spear was in Saul's hand," and David did not notice him. But now, the spear was first in his hand, and afterward, "David was playing," and David became aware and took care to guard himself against him. b) There it is written, "And Saul took the spear, and said, 'I will pin David to the wall,'" intending to strike him deceitfully by throwing the spear here and there, so that it would appear as if it were unintentional. But now:
And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear into the wall; and David fled, and escaped that night.
verse value 4378
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "and·struck" (וַיַּ֥ךְ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "fled" (נָ֥ס, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·spear" (אֶֽת־הַחֲנִ֖ית, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 337: Saul, Saul. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·sought" (וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ), "to·strike" (לְהַכּ֤וֹת), "and·separated" (וַיִּפְטַר֙). The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "from·face·of" (root פנים, 93x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root מלט ("and·slipped·away") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·wall', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Radak
“Of David and of the wall.” I have explained it:
"And he slipped away." He withdrew from before him and guarded himself from the spear, and it struck the wall.
And he struck the spear into the wall. He thrust it into the wall:
"And he escaped." The explanation is that he fled at that time to his house, and he escaped on that night, as it says that his wife Michal told him that her father wanted to kill him that night.
Ralbag
"And he departed from before Saul, and he struck the spear into the wall." This means that he withdrew from his presence at the time that he threw the spear to strike David, and the spear struck the wall and did not touch David. And behold, this was a great miracle, for although he was playing the instrument and was striving that his song be measured properly, he withdrew from his presence after he threw the spear at him. And since it became clear to David that the evil from Saul to kill him had ceased, he fled to his house.
Metzudat David
“David and the wall.” He hurled the spear with such force that it would have passed through David’s body and lodged further in the wall. When he [David] escaped from before him, the spear had already been fixed in the wall, for he [David] escaped from before him only after the spear had left Saul’s hand.
It was at night. He did not flee immediately from the king’s house; rather, he returned to his own home, and fled from there at night, before dawn.
Metzudat Zion
And he dismissed. A matter of sending away from his place, similarly (II Chronicles 23:8): 'for Jehoiada did not dismiss'.
Malbim
And Saul sought to strike with the spear, intending to hit David and the wall, and David saw and escaped from before him. This means that he went to his house, and Saul struck the spear into the wall where David had been (unlike the first time, when David fled from before him before he struck).
And Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning; and Michal David’s wife told him, saying: ‘If you save not your life to-night, to-morrow you shall be slain.’
verse value 6513
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 90 letters. Verse gematria: 6513 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·kill·him" (וְלַהֲמִית֖וֹ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·watch·him" (לְשׇׁמְר֔וֹ), "and·to·kill·him" (וְלַהֲמִית֖וֹ), "and·told" (וַתַּגֵּ֣ד). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·house·of" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·morning', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 12 words.
Radak
"To guard him and to kill him." To guard him so that he would not leave the house and escape, and to kill him in the morning; for he would not have killed him at night in the presence of his daughter. Rather, he reasoned that they would bring him to him in the morning, and they would kill him.
Ralbag
"To guard him and to kill him in the morning." This means: to guard him so that he would not leave that place, in order that they could bring him to Saul in the morning to be killed by one of his servants, in such a way that it would be confirmed to Saul that David was already dead. For this reason, Saul did not command the messengers he sent to David’s house to kill him, because he feared that David might devise some stratagem with them to save his life in some way. This was especially so since Saul already intended to carry out this act in secret, for he was committing a wrongful act in killing David, who had done no wrong. Therefore, Saul first tried to strike him with a spear while he was playing the harp before him, so that the matter would not become public knowledge. And this too occurred at a time when an evil spirit from God was afflicting him, so that if the matter were to become known, Saul could have an excuse on account of his illness, or he would cast him into the hand of the Philistines, for in that case no one would hold him accountable.
Metzudat David
"To guard him" — so that he would not flee during the night, and to bring him to him in the morning to stand before him as before, in order to put him to death by a stratagem, such as throwing a spear or the like, for he was ashamed to put him to death in the sight of the people, since there was no violence in his hand. And thus he was cunning, devising a scheme as if it were done without his knowledge.
Malbim
The questions: Why did he not send someone to kill him immediately, and why did he send messengers afterward to take David, rather than having the first ones kill him themselves?
And Saul sent messengers, so that he might thereby find a pretext against him to judge him according to the law of one who rebels against the kingdom, because he had absented himself from him without his permission; and in order that he might have a cover for his eyes, that he killed him by a just judgment, he first sent messengers to guard him. And in this there was a great stratagem: for if he had killed him immediately by means of the messengers, they would have said that he killed him without judgment and trial; and if he had not sent to guard him, but only sent to bring him in the morning, they would have said, “Did he not flee from the king? For behold, he sat in his house and did not flee during the night.” Therefore, he sent to guard him all night, so that he might say, “Therefore he did not flee from his house, because the guards detained him.” And also he thought, perhaps he would stand against the guards, and his blood would be upon his own head.
So Michal let David down through the window; and he went, and fled, and escaped.
verse value 1687
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "behind" (בְּעַ֣ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "David" (אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·window" (הַחַלּ֑וֹן). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "and·went" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel); "and·lowered" (root ירד, 42x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root ברח ("and·fled") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·window', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּ֧רֶד [and·lowered] (610) + מִיכַ֛ל [Michal] (100) + אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד [David] (415) + בְּעַ֣ד [behind] (76) + הַחַלּ֑וֹן [the·window] (99) + וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + וַיִּבְרַ֖ח [and·fled] (226) + וַיִּמָּלֵֽט [and·slipped·away] (95) = 1687.
Radak
“Through the window.” For he could not exit through the doorway because of the guards. There was a window in the house on another side, which the guards did not see when she lowered him through the window. And regarding the exposition of how David fled: Rabbi Abbu and Rabbi Avin. Rabbi Abbu said: There were two doors to David’s house, one large and one small. They guarded him at the large door, and he exited through the small door. And Rabbi Avin said: There was only one door. They stationed themselves at the door. What did Michal do? She lowered David through the window.
Ralbag
"Through the window." Behold, the guards were stationed by the door through which they would enter King David’s house. The window was located in a different wall of the house, and from there Michal lowered him down so that he might escape. She took the teraphim and placed them on the bed, so that it would appear as though David was lying on the bed. The skin-bag was made of goat skin and had hairs on it; she placed it at his head to deceive those who came there. When they would feel that spot, the hairs would give them the impression that David was there.
Metzudat David
“Through the window.” And the guards kept watch at the door on the opposite side.
And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a quilt of goats’hair at the head thereof, and covered it with a cloth.
verse value 5156
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "and·(object marker)" (וְאֵת֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "teraphim" (אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֗ים, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "teraphim" (אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֗ים), "and·covered" (וַתְּכַ֖ס), "in·the·cloth" (בַּבָּֽגֶד). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·bed" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·took" (root לקח, 78x in I Samuel); "name" (root שם, 71x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at·his·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words.
Rashi
And Michal took. In order that they not understand that he fled and pursue after him.
The teraphim. Made in the form of a human body.
The fleece of goat's hair. A whole flayed skin, like a water-skin — flutsi'l in the foreign tongue.
There at his pillows. Because the teraphim have no hair, and this one resembles human hair.
Radak
“the teraphim.” Its Targumic translation is *tsalmniya*, and they were made in the form of the human body. Therefore, she placed them in the bed, so that David would appear to be lying there. And in the place of his head, she placed a *kavir ha’ezim* (a goat-hair cushion), so that it would resemble human hair. And the explanation of *kavir ha’ezim* is a cushion made from goat hair. And the Targum translates it as *nuda d’ezya* (a goat-skin sack). And so it says in the Midrash: “And she put a goat-skin sack of wine under David on the bed,” meaning a sack made from goat skin, and the hair was on top. Therefore, she placed it in the place of his head.
As for the matter of the teraphim, some commentators explain that they were idols for worship, like the teraphim that Rachel stole from Laban. For Laban was an idol-worshipper, as he said to her, “Why did you steal my gods?” And heaven forbid that there should have been idol worship in David’s house. And there are those who say that it was a copper instrument made to know the parts of the hours, and they would see the future in it according to the judgment of the constellations. And this is plausible regarding Laban, but regarding Michal it is difficult to explain why she placed them in David’s bed, for that instrument does not have that characteristic. And the wise man Ibn Ezra, may his memory be blessed, wrote that the teraphim were in the form of a human being, and it was made to receive higher powers. And the proof that the teraphim were so is the fact that the teraphim which Michal placed in the bed caused the guards of the house to think that they were David.
Ralbag
And after this, she covered [the figure] with a goat’s hair blanket, to indicate that David had covered his head to protect it from the cold during sleep, and that this would serve as a cause for them not to see that there was no one else in David’s bed except him, unless they discovered this. And in any case, it was possible that David would escape and distance himself. And I think that Michal did this so that if they would rise early in the morning to summon her, she could repel them by showing them that he was in the bed and telling them that he was ill, so that David would have more leisure to distance himself. And despite all this, Saul commanded that he be brought up to him on the bed in which he was, due to his desire to kill him. And the messengers brought the bed in which David was, according to their assumption. And when the bed was before Saul, it became clear to him that David was not there, but rather there were teraphim on the bed, and the goat’s hair blanket was at the head of the teraphim. And the teraphim were in the form of a human being, created at specific times among them, and they believed that this form would arouse the imaginative faculty in such a way that it would isolate itself from the other faculties of the soul, in a manner that it would receive a higher power, according to their custom, and the imagination would hear a low voice revealing the future, according to their belief. And already there entered into this matter a deficiency, which we have already alerted you to in our explanation of the words, “And iniquity and teraphim is stubbornness.”
Metzudat David
There, at his head. Although she had covered the head, she feared that they might feel above it and know that they were teraphim, for there was no hair on them; therefore, she placed at his head a skin-bottle of goat hide, with the hair on top, to deceive those who came to feel it. She also devised these stratagems so that they would not pursue him, and while they delayed, he would distance himself to save his life.
"And she covered." She covered the head from above, as if to protect it from the cold and the like, so that people would not see that it was a teraphim.
Metzudat Zion
The teraphim. They are those made in the form of a person, some for idol worship, and some in the form of a known person, and women would make them in the form of their husbands, to look at their appearance from the abundance of love.
The bolster of the goats. Targum Yonatan: 'skin-bottle of a goat'.
From his head. From the word 'head'.
Malbim
And Michal took [the teraphim] in order that she might say to the messengers, “He is ill,” so that the matter would be delayed and he would find an opportunity to distance himself.
And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said: ‘He is sick.’
verse value 2487
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "is·ill" (חֹלֶ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "messengers" (מַלְאָכִ֖ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "is·ill" (חֹלֶ֥ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח [and·he·sent] (354) + שָׁא֛וּל [Saul] (337) + מַלְאָכִ֖ים [messengers] (141) + לָקַ֣חַת [to·take] (538) + אֶת־דָּוִ֑ד [David] (415) + וַתֹּ֖אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + חֹלֶ֥ה [is·ill] (43) + הֽוּא [he] (12) = 2487.
Metzudat David
“And he sent.” In the morning, he sent after him to stand before him as before.
Malbim
And he sent him, for the commandment of the first ones was only to guard him, and he also considered that if they would desire to take him, he would stand against them, and from this aspect he would be liable to death by law.
And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying: ‘Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.’
verse value 3657
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "him" (אֹת֧וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·messengers" (אֶת־הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·messengers" (אֶת־הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים), "in·the·bed" (בַמִּטָּ֛ה), "to·kill·him" (לַהֲמִתֽוֹ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח [and·he·sent] (354) + שָׁאוּל֙ [Saul] (337) + אֶת־הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים [the·messengers] (547) + לִרְא֥וֹת [to·see] (637) + אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד [David] (415) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + הַעֲל֨וּ [bring up] (111) + אֹת֧וֹ [him] (407) + בַמִּטָּ֛ה [in·the·bed] (56) + אֵלַ֖י [to·me] (41) + לַהֲמִתֽוֹ [to·kill·him] (481) = 3657.
Metzudat David
"To see David, saying:" The phrase means that they should say that they are going to visit him and see him, for Saul thought that he was pretending to be ill so that he would not come to him. Therefore, he said, "Bring him up," etc., as if to say, "Will you not see that he is not ill?" And thus they brought him up to put him to death before the people, for now he was liable to death for having deceived me.
Metzudat Zion
To see. He means to visit him, and similarly its translation: 'to support,' and similarly he translated concerning (II Kings 8:29): 'to see Joram...for he was sick,' but everywhere it translates 'to see'.
Malbim
To see David: if he is not ill, he is a rebel in that he feigned illness; and if he is truly ill, he will bring a charge against him, saying, “This is why he did not flee—his illness detained him.” And either way he said, “Bring him up on a bed to me, so that I may kill him.”
And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the quilt of goats’hair at the head thereof.
verse value 2389
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "and·behold" (וְהִנֵּ֥ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·messengers" (הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·teraphim" (הַתְּרָפִ֖ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·bed" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel); "and·behold" (root הנה, 29x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·bed', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words.
Radak
"unto the bed." Just as it is written "on the bed," so too it is written "unto the mountains" in the verse "he did not eat."
Metzudat Zion
On the bed. Like 'upon the bed,' similarly (Ezekiel 18:6): 'upon the mountains he did not eat'.
And Saul said to Michal: ‘Why have you deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, that he is escaped?’ And Michal answered Saul: ‘He said to me: Let me go; why should I kill you?’
verse value 5181
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "why" (לָ֤מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Michal" (אֶל־מִיכַ֗ל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 75: why, why. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Michal" (אֶל־מִיכַ֗ל), "and·sent-away" (וַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֥י), "he·said" (הוּא־אָמַ֥ר). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root רמה ("you·deceived·me") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·slipped·away', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
He said to me, etc. You handed me over into the hand of a bandit, who drew his sword upon me, until you sent him away.
Metzudat David
"Why have you deceived me thus?" And he returns to explain: "For you sent away my enemy, saying, 'He is ill,' so that he might escape while we hesitated. And why did you increase the deception of me so greatly?"
"He said to me." And I did not send him of my own accord, for he said to me, Let me go, why should I kill you on account of this? And I was thus compelled in the matter. And so that you would not be angry, I said, He is ill, to conceal the matter, and with the passage of time the anger would subside.
Malbim
Why so? He asked her two questions: a) concerning her having let him down through the window — as to which she could excuse herself, that he fled of himself; b) he asked, why hast thou so deceived me with the teraphim, for by that means he had time to get far away, and from this it became known that "thou hast let mine enemy go," through the window, and by thy deceiving me with the teraphim, "and he is escaped." "And she said," etc., "He said unto me" — that is to say, she said that he fled of himself, and that he had commanded her, "Let me go; why should I kill thee?" — that is, that she should make the stratagem of the deception with the teraphim, so that thereby she should let me go and they should not pursue me; and if thou do not this, I will kill thee when I find opportunity. And I was afraid to alter his command.
Now 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.
verse value 4882
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 78 letters. The shortest word is "he·fled" (בָּרַ֜ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Samuel" (אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 468: Naioth, in·Naioth. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "he·fled" (בָּרַ֜ח), "did·to·him" (עָֽשָׂה־ל֖וֹ). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Samuel" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "all·that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root נוית ("Naioth") in I Samuel. First appearance of the root ניות ("in·Naioth") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Saul', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Radak
“And they sat in Naioth.” The vav is written before the yod, but in the reading tradition the yod comes before the vav. The written text and the vocalized reading are equivalent in meaning: whether the yod precedes the vav or the vav precedes the yod, it is one and the same. The term derives from the word “naveh” (dwelling), and this place called Naioth was located in the city called Ramah. Therefore, it says “in Naioth in Ramah,” meaning “in Naioth, which is in Ramah.” Alternatively, this place was outside the city called Ramah, near it, within its border, and “in Ramah” is stated similarly to how it is said, “When Joshua was in Jericho.” This is the correct interpretation. Therefore, it says, “And he and Samuel went and sat in Naioth.” This place was the location of the school of the prophets, who resided there and studied before Samuel. And so did Jonathan render it: “Beit Ulpana” (House of Study). And our Sages of blessed memory said: What is the connection of Naioth with Ramah? Rather, they would sit in Ramah and engage in the “beauty of the world,” that is, in matters concerning the Temple, specifically discussing in which place it would be built.
Ralbag
"And they dwelt in Naioth." They said that there was a house of study for the prophets near the city of Ramah, in which Samuel dwelt.
Metzudat David
In Naioth. A place name in Ramah, prepared as a dwelling for the sons of the prophets.
Malbim
The questions: Why does it say three times that David fled and ran away? Verses 10, 12, and 18.
And David fled and escaped: This means that through these delays he escaped completely. (In verse 10 it states, “And David fled and escaped,” meaning from Saul’s house; and in verse 12 it states, “And he went and fled and escaped,” meaning from the hands of the guards; and here it states that he escaped completely. And there is a distinction between nas and barach: nas is when pursuers are after him, or when the danger is near, which was the case when he was with Saul. Afterwards, when the great danger was no longer so pressing, it writes “and he fled.”)
And 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.
verse value 5780
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 98 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֔ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "standing" (עֹמֵ֥ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·prophets" (הַנְּבִיאִים֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 337: Saul, Saul. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "company·of" (אֶֽת־לַהֲקַ֤ת), "the·prophets" (הַנְּבִיאִים֙), "upon·messengers·of" (עַֽל־מַלְאֲכֵ֤י). The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'over·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Rashi
A band. (Translation:) A group.
Radak
"And he saw." The chief of Saul's messengers, or each and every one of Saul's messengers.
Lehakat. Like the phrase in Ecclesiastes, "turn over" (hefel), whose Targum reads "si'at sefarei," meaning the students of the Sages, for the Sages are called "soferim" (scribes).
“Prophets.” Its Targumic translation is “praising,” meaning that they would recite hymns and praises to God through the Holy Spirit. And it is possible that they would also prophesy near-future prophecies relevant to their time.
"Standing, appointed over them" (עמד נצב עליהם). "Standing" (עומד) refers to one who was standing on his feet.
"Set over them." [That is,] teaching them — like "set over the reapers," appointed over them to instruct them what to do; and likewise "set over the servants of Saul," chief and appointed over them. And so Jonathan rendered it: standing and teaching over them.
Ralbag
The company of the prophets, "navi'im." This means a congregation of prophets who prophesy things that are to come.
“Nitzav alayhem” – meaning, beside them. And this prophecy was of the kind of the Holy Spirit, wherein the senses are employed according to their usual manner, as if Samuel had imparted to them from the spirit that rested upon him, and they prophesied: the first, the second, and the third companies of Saul’s messengers. And Saul too prophesied when he came there; he stripped off his garments and fell naked, due to the intensity of his attachment to the intelligibles, such that he was not aware of physical matters. And this continued with Saul all that day and all that night, so that David might escape at that time from Saul’s hand.
Metzudat David
And he saw. Each one of the angels:
And Samuel was standing. And the abundance of prophecy came upon them through Samuel:
"And it came to pass." Through all the prophets, the abundance of prophecy came even upon the angels, and they no longer feared the words of Saul.
Metzudat Zion
A company. A group, and it is the word 'kehilat' with its letters transposed, just as 'keves' and 'kesev'.
Stood over them. He means appointed over them to teach them the ways of prophecy, similarly (Ruth 2:5): 'who stands over the reapers'.
Malbim
The questions: Why did it say "standing" and "stationed," a doubled expression?
And he saw the company of the prophets: this means the entire assembly of the prophets. (They are from the roots that reverse their letters, like keves and kesev, simlah and salmah; and there is a difference between a "company" of prophets and a "band" of prophets [as above, chapter 10], for a "band" is only a portion of the assembly, a part of them.) And Samuel was standing, stationed over them. It is clear to me that there is a linguistic difference between "standing" (*amida*) and "being stationed" (*nitzav*). "Standing" is merely the opposite of sitting, lying down, or walking. But "being stationed" is a standing that requires strength and fortification to remain upright, such as before a great person or before one’s master. It also denotes one who is appointed and supervising a matter, like "his servant who was stationed over the reapers" (Ruth 2:5). Now, all the prophets, when prophecy came upon them, fell on their faces, and their limbs trembled from excessive awe. Only Samuel was great in his rank in two respects: a) He stood firm on his feet and did not fall on his face; b) He was stationed over them and bestowed upon them the effluence of prophecy. He was the source from which they drew; he was the lamp from which their souls were kindled with the great divine light. This great effluence was complete both from the side of the bestower, who stood as mentioned above, and from the side of the receivers, who were the entire company of prophets, for according to the multitude of this holy assembly, holiness and illumination increased. It was also complete from the side of the connection between the bestower and the receivers, for he was stationed over them and drew from the source to its branches. Through this, the sparks latent in the souls of Saul’s servants were also kindled, and they too prophesied (at a lower level, which is the definition of *mitnavei* in the *hitpa'el* form, as mentioned above, chapter 18). And through this, they no longer turned to Saul's warning to seize David.
And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
verse value 3954
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 74 letters. The shortest word is "and·again" (וַיֹּ֣סֶף, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·they·prophesied" (וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 475: and·they·prophesied, and·they·prophesied. The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "and·he·sent" (root שלח, 65x in I Samuel); "another" (root אחר, 62x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'also·they', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ [and·they·told] (29) + לְשָׁא֗וּל [to·Saul] (367) + וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ [and·he·sent] (354) + מַלְאָכִ֣ים [messengers] (141) + אֲחֵרִ֔ים [another] (259) + וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ [and·they·prophesied] (475) + גַּם־הֵ֑מָּה [also·they] (93) + וַיֹּ֣סֶף [and·again] (156) + שָׁא֗וּל [Saul] (337) + וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ [and·he·sent] (354) + מַלְאָכִ֣ים [messengers] (141) + שְׁלִשִׁ֔ים [thirty] (680) + וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ [and·they·prophesied] (475) + גַּם־הֵֽמָּה [also·they] (93) = 3954.
Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great cistern that is in Secu; and he asked and said: ‘Where are Samuel and David?’ And one said: ‘Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.’
verse value 4546
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "also·he" (גַּם־ה֜וּא, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 468: Naioth, at·Naioth. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·cistern" (עַד־בּ֤וֹר), "in·Secu" (בַּשֶּׂ֔כוּ), "where?" (אֵיפֹ֥ה). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "and·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·David', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Radak
“Bashkhu.” It is a place name, and it appears with the definite article, contrary to the usual custom, just as in “Bakarkar” and “Baskuchot.”
Metzudat Zion
Where. Like 'where is here'.
Malbim
The questions are: Why did he go up to Ramah, since he already knew that he was in Naioth? And likewise, why did he inquire about the "great well"? And why did he say, "Therefore they shall say, Is Saul also among the prophets?" And above (in section 10) it was stated that they said this because of his first prophecy. Furthermore, even if so, did not Saul's messengers prophesy at that time, and why were they not astonished at them?
And he went also to Ramah. At first, it was not in his mind to go to Naioth, for he thought that Samuel would return in the meantime to his house in Ramah. Moreover, it was not to his honour to seek David in the place of the seer. He intended to go to Ramah, thinking that the prophet would come out to meet him. However, when he arrived at the great well, which was at the parting of the way between Ramah and Naioth, he changed his mind and inquired where Samuel and David were—whether in Ramah or in Naioth.
And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah; and the spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
verse value 4370
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Naioth" (אֶל־נָי֖וֹת, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 468: Naioth, to·Naioth. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Naioth" (אֶל־נָי֖וֹת), "Naioth" ((נוית)). The root הלך appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel); "until·he·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel); "and·went" (root הלך, 133x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Ramah', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 12 words.
Radak
“And he went there.” And on the way, the spirit of God was upon him, and he went along, prophesying, until he came to Naioth.
Metzudat David
"And it was upon him." He was still on the way.
Malbim
"And he went there" – this implies that "there" he resolved in his mind not to go to Ramah, but only to Naioth. And it came upon him, and from that time on, since he had directed his path toward the place of Samuel, the divine influence had already taken effect upon him from afar. And the reason is also explained: "he went there" – meaning that from his own side, he had already been prepared for this influence from long ago, since he had already prophesied once before. Therefore, the spring was drawn to him from afar, which was not the case with Saul’s prophets, who did not prophesy until they came before Samuel.
And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say: ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’
verse value 3173
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 82 letters. The shortest word is "naked" (עָרֹ֔ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·the·night" (וְכׇל־הַלָּ֑יְלָה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: to·face·of, therefore. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·stripped" (וַיִּפְשַׁ֨ט), "his·clothes" (בְּגָדָ֗יו), "naked" (עָרֹ֔ם). The root אנתה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·say" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "all·the·day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·all·the·night', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
And he also stripped himself of his garments. The garments of kingship — to wear the garments of the students.
And he fell naked. And he fell barashan — Yonatan translated: And he fell naked. And in the name of Rabbi Menachem, who heard from the mouth of a certain Arab: 'barashan' in the Arabic language means mad.
Radak
“And he also stripped off his garments.” This teaches that the other prophets stripped off their garments as well. The phrase “also he” serves to include them, and the matter is that when prophecy comes upon a person, his sensory perceptions are nullified, and the person falls, as it says of Balaam, “he fell, and his eyes were opened,” and it says of Daniel, “I was lying on my face, with my face to the ground.” At times it happens that he strips off his garments because of the great nullification of his sensory perceptions and his mental thoughts, and he remains with the power of intellect alone.
“And he fell naked.” The Targum translates it as “and he fell in shame,” and I have not found a parallel for this rendering, and there are manuscripts that write it as “in shame.”
"Therefore they say: Is Saul also among the prophets?" As it said above, "therefore it became a proverb," and there we explained it.
Metzudat David
And he stripped off. He stripped off the garments of royalty, in order to resemble the prophets in their attire, so that he would not be arrogant toward them.
And he fell. He fell on his face to the ground, as it is stated in Daniel [10:9]: "And I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground."
"Naked." This means: stripped of the garments of royalty.
Therefore they say, etc. For the first time that he prophesied, at the time of the anointing, the proverb had not yet become established in the mouths of people to say, “Even Saul is among the prophets.” And when he prophesied a second time, then the proverb became established, to say that regarding anyone who comes to do something he is not accustomed to, even if he is Saul, he is among the prophets.
Malbim
And he stripped off his garments, and Saul came before Samuel; the spirit overwhelmed him greatly, so much so that he cast off his royal robes, for when the strength of the body is weakened, then the soul dons the "royalty of God." And he also prophesied before Samuel at a higher level than he had prophesied on the way. This is the second instance in which he lay naked on his face all day and all night, because the spirit had not departed from him, which was not the case with his servants, who prophesied only intermittently, like a flash of lightning that appears and then is covered. Therefore, they would say — meaning that this is what is meant by the parable that was placed in the mouths of all regarding anyone who prophesies without preparation, namely, that it is said of him, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" (as stated above, Chapter 10). For although Saul’s servants also prophesied after him, this was only for a short time and only before Samuel, so they did not become a proverb. But this was not the case with Saul, who prophesied for a long time, day and night, and even before he arrived at the prophet. Therefore, only he became a proverb, and no one else.
Metzudat David
Malbim