I Shmuel 18: What Shifted for Shaul?

After the excitement of chapter 17, things begin to shift for Shaul and David. Why did it shift for Shaul? The chapter begins with three reasons: 1) Jonathan and David. The chapter begins with Jonathan professing his love for David. As a symbol for this elevated relationship, Jonathan gives David his cloak: “Jonathan took off the cloak and tunic he was wearing and gave them to David, together with his sword, bow, and belt” (וַיִּתְפַּשֵּׁט יְהוֹנָתָן אֶת־הַמְּעִיל אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ לְדָוִד וּמַדָּיו וְעַד־חַרְבּוֹ וְעַד־קַשְׁתּוֹ וְעַד־חֲגֹרוֹ) (verse 4). Earlier in chapter 15, Shaul ripped Shmuel’s cloak after Shmuel decreed that Shaul would no longer be king. The cloak is symbolic of the kingship, and Jonathan presenting David with the cloak of the next in line would be equally symbolic. Jonathan’s loyalty to David over his father certainly irked him. 2) The Women of Israel. Shaul places David in charge of a division of the army. Not surprisingly, David is extremely successful. When David and Shaul would return from battle, the woman would sing victory songs: “Saul has slain his thousands; David, his tens of thousands!” (הִכָּה שָׁאוּל בַּאֲלָפָיו וְדָוִד בְּרִבְבֹתָיו) (verse 7). This time, the text reveals that Shaul was “greatly distressed and vexed” and that “from that day on Saul kept a jealous eye on David” (וַיִּחַר לְשָׁאוּל מְאֹד וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינָיו הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה ... וַיְהִי שָׁאוּל עוֹיֵן אֶת־דָּוִד מֵהַיּוֹם הַהוּא וָהָלְאָה) (verse 9). Shaul was at the tipping point, but it took divine intervention to push him over the edge. 3) God. In Exodus, God wanted to teach Pharoah a lesson, so he hardened Pharoah’s heart. God intervenes here as well. “The next day an evil spirit of God gripped Saul and he began to nabeh in the house…” (וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַתִּצְלַח רוּחַ־אֱלֹהִים רָעָה אֶל־שָׁאוּל וַיִּתְנַבֵּא בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּיִת) (verse 10). The Hebrew word nabeh is a little uncertain. The literal translation is that he prophesied, but some comment that he began to rave wildly. Rashi explains that a madman and a prophet often can sound the same. The use of the word serves a dual purpose. The first is to emphasize that Shaul’s reaction was from God. The second, perhaps, references Shaul right after Shmuel anoints him. Shaul returns home, but on the way encounters a group of prophets. “Thereupon the spirit of God gripped him, and he spoke in ecstasy among them” (וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּתְנַבֵּא בְּתוֹכָם) (10:10). Shaul started his career with God, tapping him into the divine spirit. He was a changed man. Now, God is flipping that, and he switches over from the ramblings of a prophet to the ramblings of a madman. So why does the Navi use these three reasons? Each of them shows a loss on the pillars of Shaul’s kingship. The first is the loss of his family with Jonathan defecting to David. The second is the loss of the people with the women chanting for David. And the third is the loss of God with God shifting from the divine spirit to a spirit of a madman.