The Meaning of 1 Samuel 16:14 Explained

1 Samuel 16:14

KJV: But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

YLT: And the Spirit of Jehovah turned aside from Saul, and a spirit of sadness from Jehovah terrified him;

Darby: And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.

ASV: Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the Spirit  of the LORD  departed  from Saul,  and an evil  spirit  from the LORD  troubled  him. 

What does 1 Samuel 16:14 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 16:14-23 - The Young Harper Before The Dejected King
In one sentence we are told of the Spirit of the Lord coming upon David, 1 Samuel 16:13, and in the next of the departure of the Spirit from Saul. This does not necessarily imply that all religious sensibility had become extinct, but that the special enduement which had fitted him for his kingly office had been withdrawn. An evil spirit "from the Lord" troubled him; that is, God permitted this spirit to enter. The garrison of peace and love had, been willfully dismissed by Saul, and by the inevitable operation of the divine law, as He had banished the light, he was necessarily left in darkness. God gave him up to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28.
The king's depression demanded an antidote, which was provided by music. Philip V of Spain was helped in the same fashion. The minstrel was none other than the young shepherd so recently anointed. A directing Providence superintends every incident in life. That a servant of Saul's had seen David in some country contest was only a link in the chain, 1 Samuel 16:18. God has a plan for each life. "All things work together for good to them that love God," Romans 8:28. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 16

1  Samuel sent by God, under pretense of a sacrifice, comes to Bethlehem
6  His human judgment is reproved
11  He anoints David
15  Saul sends for David to quiet his evil spirit

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 16:14 mean?

But the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul and troubled him a spirit distressing from Yahweh
וְר֧וּחַ יְהוָ֛ה סָ֖רָה מֵעִ֣ם שָׁא֑וּל וּבִֽעֲתַ֥תּוּ רֽוּחַ־ רָעָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָֽה

וְר֧וּחַ  But  the  Spirit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
יְהוָ֛ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
סָ֖רָה  departed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
שָׁא֑וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וּבִֽעֲתַ֥תּוּ  and  troubled  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּעַת  
Sense: to terrify, startle, fall upon, dismay, be overtaken by sudden terror.
רֽוּחַ־  a  spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
רָעָ֖ה  distressing 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.