Soothing a Quick-Tempered King
At the height of his power, the first biblical king of Israel, King Saul, suddenly went mad. With no warning, Saul would fly into furious rages which the Bible describes as being “tormented by an evil spirit” (1 Sam. 16:14). We do not know exactly what caused “the Spirit of the Lord to depart from Saul,” butwe know what healed him. It was the therapeutic power of David’s music.
The Healing Harp
David was just a young shepherd when news reached the palace that he had the skill to heal the king.While shepherding his flock, David would pass the time by playing the lyre. Known in Hebrew as a kinnor כִּנּוֹר, the lyre is a portable harp that David could easily tuck away in his shepherd’s bag. Together with his staff and sling, it became a permanent part of his gear.
Listen to the sounds of ancient Israel
David used the gentle lyre to soothe his goats when they came under attack by wolves. These were the very same sounds to banish the evil spirit that attacked Saul. Once he became king, David played the lyre to accompany the many Psalms he wrote (Psalm 81:2). Wish to enter world of ancient Israel through the soothing sounds of Hebrew? Enroll in our online Biblical Hebrew course today!