What is the understanding of "an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him"?
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Different translations describe the spirit in different ways:
- NIV, KJV, NASB, ISV - Evil
- ESV - Harmful
- NLT - Tormenting
- YLT - Spirit of Sadness
However all these translations agree that this Spirit was sent from the Lord. So to stay with your question, how could a loving God send an evil spirit to torment?
He could for the very same reasons he sent a worldwide flood: it was His divine way to deal with the sin of that time, of that moment. Saul was rebelling and this was his de facto punishment.
Dave Miller, Apologetics Press:
As Keil and Delitzsch maintained: “This demon is called ‘an evil spirit (coming) from Jehovah,’ because Jehovah had sent it as a punishment” (1976, 2:170). John W. Haley added: “And he has a punitive purpose in granting this permission. He uses evil to chastise evil” (1977, p. 142). Of course, the reader needs to be aware of the fact that the term for “evil” is a broad term that need not refer to spiritual wickedness. In fact, it often refers to physical harm or painful hardship (e.g., Genesis 19:19; 2 Samuel 17:14). source
Habakkuk had this very same question for God when it was clear that God was allowing the wicked nation of Babylon to punish Judah. God responded with this:
Habakkuk 1:5 ESV Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
...and then gave Habakkuk his rebuke for Babylon:
Habakkuk 2:8 ESV Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.
Basically, God's great plans extend beyond the painful moment. God had a plan to rescue Judah from Babylon/Persia just like God had a plan for Saul in sending the evil spirit, even though neither made sense at the time. If you continue reading the chapter in 2 Samuel you'll see that it is through this evil spirit that Saul has his first encounter with his royal successor, David.
Upvote:-4
Evil spirits are not sent by God, nor does God give revelations through the evil spirits which sometimes trouble men. He cast these evil spirits out of heaven long ago for their rebellion against Him.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches that the evil spirit was not sent from God. The prophet Joseph Smith corrected this passage in an inspired revision of the Bible to say, “An evil spirit which was not of the Lord troubled him” (JST, 1 Samuel 16:14 footnote c; emphasis added).
To say that God sent an evil spirit contradicts Christ's own teachings on the Sermon on the Mount:
"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." (Matt. 7:17-18; emphasis added)
This does not answer the question of why the sixteenth chapter of 1 Samuel reads that the Spirit came from the LORD four times (vv. 14, 15, 16 & 23), but it is the authoritative position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that it is not meant to communicate that God sent an evil spirit.
The best guess I could make is that this is meant to communicate that the Lord allowed an evil spirit to torment Saul, much like the Lord allowed Satan to torment Job:
"And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD." (Job 1:12; emphasis added)
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