In the tradition of Saul as well as in the narrative of the rise of David the Divine gift of the spirit plays a decisive role in ensuring the legitimacy of the kingship of both protagonists. The numerous evidences of the term "spirit" in these passages of the Deuteronomistic History are an illustration of this. Therefore the analysis of the understanding of the spirit in these passages opens up access to the genesis of kingship. The power struggle also appears in the form of an antagonism between different gifts of the spirit or, in the case of Saul, its loss because the spirit now has become his adversary. David on the other hand has been assured of a permanent gift of the spirit which ultimately makes him the winner in the struggle for power.