1 Samuel 19:9-10

19:9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon ¹  Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. ²  19:10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. ³  David escaped quickly ⁴  that night.

1 Samuel 20:33

20:33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan ⁵  in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced ⁶  that his father had decided to kill David.

Proverbs 27:4

27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming, ⁷ 

but who can stand before jealousy? ⁸ 

Isaiah 54:17

54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;

you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. ⁹ 

This is what the Lord will do for his servants –

I will vindicate them,” ¹⁰ 

says the Lord.

¹ tn Heb “[was] to.”

² tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”

³ tn Heb “and he drove the spear into the wall.”

⁴ tn Heb “fled and escaped.”

⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Heb “knew.”

⁷ tn Heb “fierceness of wrath and outpouring [= flood] of anger.” A number of English versions use “flood” here (e.g., NASB, NCV, NLT).

⁸ tn The Hebrew term translated “jealousy” here probably has the negative sense of “envy” rather than the positive sense of “zeal.” It is a raging emotion (like “anger” and “wrath,” this word has nuances of heat, intensity) that defies reason at times and can be destructive like a consuming fire (e.g., 6:32-35; Song 8:6-7). The rhetorical question is intended to affirm that no one can survive a jealous rage. (Whether one is the subject who is jealous or the object of the jealousy of someone else is not so clear.)

⁹ tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”