Comment: The text above shows the violent temper, envy, distress and hatred King Saul had for David, whom God said will replace Saul. David was of course the “neighbour”, Samuel the prophet talked about in his chastisement of Saul, for brazenly flouting God’s command to annihilate Amalek. (1 Samuel 15:26)   In his ungodly disposition, it was difficult for King Saul to come to terms with the fact that the next king of Israel, was David. – 1 Samuel 18:8; 1 Samuel 18:11.

At another occasion, when on the second day, David refused to dine with the King, the Bible states: “Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.” But when found out that David’s absence was known to Jonathan, his son, an embittered King Saul commanded: “Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.” – 1 Samuel 20:26-31.

Saul’s jealousy, hatred, wrath, depression, etc were pitfalls in his character that brought some psychological disorder to him. And Scripture states: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15. See also Matthew 5:21,22; Galatians 5:21) We pray God to cleanse us from evil thoughts.