· Translation: KJV

1 Samuel 18:11and Saul threw the spear; for he said, "I will pin David even to the wall!" David escaped from his presence twice.

The setting

Gibeah, Israel, ~1020 BC. King Saul's palace. David plays harp to soothe the tormented king when Saul suddenly hurls his spear...

The emotion here: chronicling with horror the king's descent into madness

The original word

chanith (חֲנִית) — war spear, 8-foot iron-tipped weapon of a warrior-king

Why it matters

This happened while David was playing music therapy for Saul's depression

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 18:11

David was UNARMED - he came to heal, not fight

Common misconceptionPeople think David was a warrior here, but he was literally a teenage musician trying to help his king's mental health. This wasn't a battle - it was attempted murder during therapy.

Bible Genome reading

1 Samuel 18:11 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability60%
Memorability80%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone70%
Themes:violenceescape

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18:11 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include violence, escape. Notable phrases: threw the spear; David escaped.

Your reflection

What does 1 Samuel 18:11 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "anxious"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.