And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
When the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, all good departed with Him. He had driven away God's grace by willful sin; now the evil spirit had possession of him, and he became prey to fear, rage, and suspicion. God made David his physician, and in serving at court the young shepherd would learn the ways of a kingdom without knowing he was being fitted to rule it.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Samuel 16:14-23
When David took his harp and played, he did more than dispel a natural melancholy; God blessed his music with power to raise Saul's spirits and drive back the evil spirit, at least for a time. By this means David's fame grew at court, and the Lord worked to establish him in Saul's sight.
AI summary
David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well--The ancients believed that music had a mysterious influence in healing mental disorders. Next: 1 Samuel Chapter 17