Commentators are divided as to the nature of this spirit. Some consider it to be a spirit that brings pain and trouble,¹ not an evil spirit but a spirit of disaster.² Possibly an angel of judgment.³ Alternatively, it could be that the Lord had given permission for an evil angel (a demon) to plague Saul.⁴ The Old Testament writers often trace both good and evil to the hand of the Lord (see Deuteronomy 13:2–4; Amos 3:6; 2 Samuel 24:1; Judges 9:23; 1 Kings 22:19–22; Job 2:10)⁵ without making a distinction between primary and secondary causes.⁶ The evil spirit would be responsible for the mental and psychological problems that plagued Saul in the remainder of his life.⁷ It did not have an influence on his personality from within, but from without, acting upon him.⁸