Samuel told Saul in 1 Samuel 10:
5 After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets [H5030] coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying [H5012]. 6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy [H5012] with them and be turned into another man.
Strong's Hebrew: 5012. נָבָא (naba) — 114 Occurrences
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
- prophesy under influence of divine spirit
a. in the ecstatic state, with song
How did Saul prophesy?
He did not prophesy in the sense of making predictions. He sang and probably danced ecstatically with the accompanying music.
Six chapters later in 1 Samuel 16:
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him.
They found a temporary solution:
23And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
Again, music was involved.
Later, Saul tried to kill David but he escaped to Samuel. 1 Samuel 19:
20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
The first group of Saul's messengers prophesied.
21When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied.
The second group of Saul's messengers prophesied.
And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
The third group of Saul's messengers prophesied.
22Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
Saul could not fight it. He also failed to take David and praised God in prophecy. Moreover,
24a And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night.”
Meanwhile, David fled
