It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
Saul’s unchecked jealousy bred the symptoms of paranoia; he began to think that his most loyal subject was his mortal enemy. Contrast Jonathan’s implicit confidence in David. The difference was that Saul saw David as a threat to his security, whereas Jonathan saw him as the savior of God’s people. [Note: For a very interesting comparison of Saul, David, and Absalom, that emphasizes David’s submissive responses to his enemy’s attacks, see Gene Edwards, A Tale of Three Kings.] 