1 Samuel 16:23 (ASV)

Passage

And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 16:21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armorbearer.

1 Samuel 16:22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight.

1 Samuel 16:23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "came", "pass", "evil", "upon", "saul", "david", and "took". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And Saul sent to Jesse saying Let...", giving immediate footing for "Spirit" and "came". In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.