The Meaning of 1 Samuel 19:24 Explained

1 Samuel 19:24

KJV: And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

YLT: and he strippeth off -- he also -- his garments, and prophesieth -- he also -- before Samuel, and falleth down naked all that day and all the night; therefore they say, 'Is Saul also among the prophets?'

Darby: And he himself also stripped off his clothes, and prophesied, himself also, before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

ASV: And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he stripped off  his clothes  also,  and prophesied  before  Samuel  in like manner, and lay down  naked  all that day  and all that night.  Wherefore they say,  [Is] Saul  also among the prophets? 

What does 1 Samuel 19:24 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 19:13-24 - Saul Checked By The Spirit Of God
David hastened to apprise Samuel of the turn that events were taking, and of his grave suspicions that Saul was attempting on his life. For greater security the prophet led him to a cluster of booths, woven probably of osiers (hence the name Naioth), where a number of young men were being trained for the prophetic office. This gives us an insight into the constructive work in which Samuel was engaged during the later years of his life. They were living in an atmosphere which seemed charged with spiritual electricity. Into this sacred assembly Saul forced three successive bands of messengers to arrest David-and finally went himself.
Before he reached the place he, also, was overcome, and lay on the ground in a trance which lasted all that day and night. Such scenes were not uncommon in the days of Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. But there was a vast gulf separating Saul from David in this matter. Between David and the prophetic Spirit there was a real affinity. In purity and simplicity he had yielded himself to God. Saul was another man for the time, but not a new man. The Spirit was on, but not in him. He had gifts, but not grace. There was no root, and the plant withered away. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 19

1  Elkanah, a Levite, having two wives, worships yearly at Shiloh
4  He cherishes Hannah, though barren, and provoked by Peninnah
9  Hannah in grief prays for a child
12  Eli first rebuking her, afterwards blesses her
19  Hannah, having born Samuel, stays at home till he is weaned
24  She presents him, according to her vow, to the Lord

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 19:24 mean?

And stripped off also he his clothes and prophesied in like manner he before Samuel and lay down naked all day that and all that night Upon thus they say [Is] also Saul among the prophets -
וַיִּפְשַׁ֨ט גַּם־ ה֜וּא בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֤א גַם־ הוּא֙ לִפְנֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיִּפֹּ֣ל עָרֹ֔ם כָּל־ הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וְכָל־ הַלָּ֑יְלָה עַל־ כֵּן֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ הֲגַ֥ם שָׁא֖וּל ؟ בַּנְּבִיאִֽם פ

וַיִּפְשַׁ֨ט  And  stripped  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּשַׁט  
Sense: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בְּגָדָ֗יו  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֤א  and  prophesied 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
גַם־  in  like  manner 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
וַיִּפֹּ֣ל  and  lay  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
עָרֹ֔ם  naked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָרֹום  
Sense: naked, bare.
הַיּ֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֖וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַלָּ֑יְלָה  that  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
עַל־  Upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּן֙  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יֹֽאמְר֔וּ  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֲגַ֥ם  [Is]  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שָׁא֖וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
؟ בַּנְּבִיאִֽם  among  the  prophets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation