1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.
23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end H3615 of speaking H1696 unto Saul, H7586 that the soul H5315 of Jonathan H3083 was knit H7194 with the soul H5315 of David, H1732 and Jonathan H3083 loved H157 him as his own soul. H5315
2 And Saul H7586 took H3947 him that day, H3117 and would let H5414 him go no more home H7725 to his father's H1 house. H1004
3 Then Jonathan H3083 and David H1732 made H3772 a covenant, H1285 because he loved H160 him as his own soul. H5315
4 And Jonathan H3083 stripped H6584 himself of the robe H4598 that was upon him, and gave H5414 it to David, H1732 and his garments, H4055 even to his sword, H2719 and to his bow, H7198 and to his girdle. H2289
5 And David H1732 went out H3318 whithersoever Saul H7586 sent H7971 him, and behaved himself wisely: H7919 and Saul H7586 set H7760 him over the men H582 of war, H4421 and he was accepted H3190 in the sight H5869 of all the people, H5971 and also in the sight H5869 of Saul's H7586 servants. H5650
6 And it came to pass as they came, H935 when David H1732 was returned H7725 from the slaughter H5221 of the Philistine, H6430 that the women H802 came out H3318 of all cities H5892 of Israel, H3478 singing H7891 and dancing, H4246 to meet H7125 king H4428 Saul, H7586 with tabrets, H8596 with joy, H8057 and with instruments H7991 of musick.
7 And the women H802 answered H6030 one another as they played, H7832 and said, H559 Saul H7586 hath slain H5221 his thousands, H505 and David H1732 his ten thousands. H7233
8 And Saul H7586 was very H3966 wroth, H2734 and the saying H1697 displeased H3415 H5869 him; and he said, H559 They have ascribed H5414 unto David H1732 ten thousands, H7233 and to me they have ascribed H5414 but thousands: H505 and what can he have more but the kingdom? H4410
9 And Saul H7586 eyed H5770 David H1732 from that day H3117 and forward. H1973
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, H4283 that the evil H7451 spirit H7307 from God H430 came H6743 upon Saul, H7586 and he prophesied H5012 in the midst H8432 of the house: H1004 and David H1732 played H5059 with his hand, H3027 as at other times: H3117 and there was a javelin H2595 in Saul's H7586 hand. H3027
11 And Saul H7586 cast H2904 the javelin; H2595 for he said, H559 I will smite H5221 David H1732 even to the wall H7023 with it. And David H1732 avoided out H5437 of his presence H6440 twice. H6471
12 And Saul H7586 was afraid H3372 of H6440 David, H1732 because the LORD H3068 was with him, and was departed H5493 from Saul. H7586
13 Therefore Saul H7586 removed H5493 him from him, and made H7760 him his captain H8269 over a thousand; H505 and he went out H3318 and came in H935 before H6440 the people. H5971
14 And David H1732 behaved himself wisely H7919 in all his ways; H1870 and the LORD H3068 was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul H7586 saw H7200 that he behaved H7919 himself very H3966 wisely, H7919 he was afraid H1481 of H6440 him.
16 But all Israel H3478 and Judah H3063 loved H157 David, H1732 because he went out H3318 and came in H935 before H6440 them.
17 And Saul H7586 said H559 to David, H1732 Behold my elder H1419 daughter H1323 Merab, H4764 her will I give H5414 thee to wife: H802 only be thou valiant H1121 H2428 for me, and fight H3898 the LORD'S H3068 battles. H4421 For Saul H7586 said, H559 Let not mine hand H3027 be upon him, but let the hand H3027 of the Philistines H6430 be upon him.
18 And David H1732 said H559 unto Saul, H7586 Who am I? and what is my life, H2416 or my father's H1 family H4940 in Israel, H3478 that I should be son in law H2860 to the king? H4428
19 But it came to pass at the time H6256 when Merab H4764 Saul's H7586 daughter H1323 should have been given H5414 to David, H1732 that she was given H5414 unto Adriel H5741 the Meholathite H4259 to wife. H802
20 And Michal H4324 Saul's H7586 daughter H1323 loved H157 David: H1732 and they told H5046 Saul, H7586 and the thing H1697 pleased H3474 H5869 him.
21 And Saul H7586 said, H559 I will give H5414 him her, that she may be a snare H4170 to him, and that the hand H3027 of the Philistines H6430 may be against him. Wherefore Saul H7586 said H559 to David, H1732 Thou shalt this day H3117 be my son in law H2859 in the one of the twain. H8147
22 And Saul H7586 commanded H6680 his servants, H5650 saying, Commune H1696 with David H1732 secretly, H3909 and say, H559 Behold, the king H4428 hath delight H2654 in thee, and all his servants H5650 love H157 thee: now therefore be the king's H4428 son in law. H2859
23 And Saul's H7586 servants H5650 spake H1696 those words H1697 in the ears H241 of David. H1732 And David H1732 said, H559 Seemeth H5869 it to you a light H7043 thing to be a king's H4428 son in law, H2859 seeing that I am a poor H7326 man, H376 and lightly esteemed? H7034
24 And the servants H5650 of Saul H7586 told H5046 him, saying, H559 On this manner H1697 spake H1696 David. H1732
25 And Saul H7586 said, H559 Thus shall ye say H559 to David, H1732 The king H4428 desireth H2656 not any dowry, H4119 but an hundred H3967 foreskins H6190 of the Philistines, H6430 to be avenged H5358 of the king's H4428 enemies. H341 But Saul H7586 thought H2803 to make David H1732 fall H5307 by the hand H3027 of the Philistines. H6430
26 And when his servants H5650 told H5046 David H1732 these words, H1697 it pleased H3474 H1697 H5869 David H1732 well to be the king's H4428 son in law: H2859 and the days H3117 were not expired. H4390
27 Wherefore David H1732 arose H6965 and went, H3212 he and his men, H582 and slew H5221 of the Philistines H6430 two hundred H3967 men; H376 and David H1732 brought H935 their foreskins, H6190 and they gave them in full tale H4390 to the king, H4428 that he might be the king's H4428 son in law. H2859 And Saul H7586 gave H5414 him Michal H4324 his daughter H1323 to wife. H802
28 And Saul H7586 saw H7200 and knew H3045 that the LORD H3068 was with David, H1732 and that Michal H4324 Saul's H7586 daughter H1323 loved H157 him.
29 And Saul H7586 was yet the more H3254 afraid H3372 of H6440 David; H1732 and Saul H7586 became David's H1732 enemy H341 continually. H3117
30 Then the princes H8269 of the Philistines H6430 went forth: H3318 and it came to pass, after H1767 they went forth, H3318 that David H1732 behaved himself more wisely H7919 than all the servants H5650 of Saul; H7586 so that his name H8034 was much H3966 set by. H3365
1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, `and' behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand;
11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him.
15 And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, `or' my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law a second time.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, `saying', Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son-in-law.
23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired;
27 and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 And it cometh to pass, when he finisheth to speak unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan hath been bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loveth him as his own soul.
2 And Saul taketh him on that day, and hath not permitted him to turn back to the house of his father.
3 And Jonathan maketh -- also David -- a covenant, because he loveth him as his own soul,
4 and Jonathan strippeth himself of the upper robe which `is' upon him, and giveth it to David, and his long robe, even unto his sword, and unto his bow, and unto his girdle.
5 And David goeth out whithersoever Saul doth send him; he acted wisely, and Saul setteth him over the men of war, and it is good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.
6 And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, in David's returning from smiting the Philistine, that the women come out from all the cities of Israel to sing -- also the dancers -- to meet Saul the king, with tabrets, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments;
7 and the women answer -- those playing, and say, `Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.'
8 And it is displeasing to Saul exceedingly, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he saith, `They have given to David myriads, and to me they have given the thousands, and more to him `is' only the kingdom;'
9 and Saul is eyeing David from that day and thenceforth.
10 And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the spirit of sadness `from' God prospereth over Saul, and he prophesieth in the midst of the house, and David is playing with his hand, as day by day, and the javelin `is' in the hand of Saul,
11 and Saul casteth the javelin, and saith, `I smite through David, even through the wall;' and David turneth round out of his presence twice.
12 And Saul is afraid of the presence of David, for Jehovah hath been with him, and from Saul He hath turned aside;
13 and Saul turneth him aside from him, and appointeth him to himself head of a thousand, and he goeth out an cometh in, before the people.
14 And David is in all his ways acting wisely, and Jehovah `is' with him,
15 and Saul seeth that he is acting very wisely, and is afraid of him,
16 and all Israel and Judah love David when he is going out and coming in before them.
17 And Saul saith unto David, `Lo, my elder daughter Merab -- her I give to thee for a wife; only, be to me for a son of valour, and fight the battles of Jehovah;' and Saul said, `Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.'
18 And David saith unto Saul, `Who `am' I? and what my life -- the family of my father in Israel -- that I am son-in-law to the king?'
19 And it cometh to pass, at the time of the giving of Merab daughter of Saul to David, that she hath been given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
20 And Michal daughter of Saul loveth David, and they declare to Saul, and the thing is right in his eyes,
21 and Saul saith, `I give her to him, and she is to him for a snare, and the hand of the Philistines is on him;' and Saul saith unto David, `By the second -- thou dost become my son-in-law to-day.'
22 And Saul commandeth his servants, `Speak unto David gently, saying, Lo, the king hath delighted in thee, and all his servants have loved thee, and now, be son-in-law to the king.'
23 And the servants of Saul speak in the ears of David these words, and David saith, `Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king -- and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'
24 And the servants of Saul declare to him, saying, `According to these words hath David spoken.'
25 And Saul saith, `Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines -- to be avenged on the enemies of the king;' and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And his servants declare to David these words, and the thing is right in the eyes of David, to be son-in-law to the king; and the days have not been full,
27 and David riseth and goeth, he and his men, and smiteth among the Philistines two hundred men, and David bringeth in their foreskins, and they set them before the king, to be son-in-law to the king; and Saul giveth to him Michal his daughter for a wife.
28 And Saul seeth and knoweth that Jehovah `is' with David, and Michal daughter of Saul hath loved him,
29 and Saul addeth to be afraid of the presence of David yet; and Saul is an enemy with David all the days.
30 And the princes of the Philistines come out, and it cometh to pass from the time of their coming out, David hath acted more wisely than any of the servants of Saul, and his name is very precious.
1 And it came to pass, when he had ended speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father's house.
3 And Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his dress, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5 And David went forth; whithersoever Saul sent him he prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambours, with joy, and with triangles.
7 And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath smitten his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and that saying was evil in his sight; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed the thousands; and [what] is there more for him but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 And it came to pass the next day that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, but David played with his hand, as on other days; and the spear was in Saul's hand.
11 And Saul cast the spear, and thought, I will smite David and the wall. But David turned away from him twice.
12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and had departed from Saul.
13 And Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David prospered in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him.
15 And Saul saw that he prospered well, and he stood in awe of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Behold my eldest daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah's battles. But Saul thought, My hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.
18 And David said to Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?
19 And it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing was right in his sight.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law a second time.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, Speak with David secretly, saying, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son-in-law.
23 And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner did David speak.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David: The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And his servants told David these words; and the thing was right in David's sight to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired,
27 when David arose and went, he and his men, and smote of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they delivered them in full to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David; and Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually.
30 And the princes of the Philistines went forth; and it came to pass, whenever they went forth, that David succeeded better than all the servants of Saul; and his name was much esteemed.
1 It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his sash.
5 David went out wherever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6 It happened as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 The women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands.
8 Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10 It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will strike David even to the wall. David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.
15 When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
17 Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give you as wife: only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh's battles. For Saul said, Don't let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.
18 David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?
19 But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, You shall this day be my son-in-law a second time.
22 Saul commanded his servants, [saying], Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the king's son-in-law.
23 Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, Seems it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 The servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spoke David.
25 Saul said, Thus shall you tell David, The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. The days were not expired;
27 and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.
28 Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.
29 Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it happened, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 Now after David's talk with Saul was ended, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and David became as dear to him as his very life.
2 And that day Saul took David and would not let him go back to his father's house.
3 Then Jonathan and David made an agreement together, because of Jonathan's love for David.
4 And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.
5 And David went wherever Saul sent him, and did wisely: and Saul put him at the head of his men of war, and this was pleasing to all the people as well as to Saul's servants.
6 Now on their way, when David came back after the destruction of the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, with songs and dances, meeting David with melody and joy and instruments of music.
7 And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.
8 And Saul was very angry and this saying was unpleasing to him; and he said, They have given David credit for tens of thousands, and to me for only thousands: what more is there for him but the kingdom?
9 And from that day Saul was looking with envy on David.
10 Now on the day after, an evil spirit from God came on Saul with great force and he was acting like a prophet among the men of his house, while David was making music for him, as he did day by day: and Saul had his spear in his hand.
11 And Saul, balancing the spear in his hand, said, I will give David a blow, pinning him to the wall. And David got away from him twice.
12 And Saul went in fear of David, because the Lord was with David and had gone away from Saul.
13 So Saul sent him away, and made him a captain over a thousand; and he went about his business before the people.
14 And in all his undertakings David did wisely; and the Lord was with him.
15 And when Saul saw how wisely he did, he was in fear of him.
16 But David was loved by all Israel and Judah, for he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul said to David, Here is my oldest daughter Merab, whom I will give you for your wife: only be strong for me, fighting in the Lord's wars. For Saul said, Let it not be through me that his fate comes to him, but through the Philistines.
18 And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my father's family in Israel, that I am to be son-in-law to the king?
19 But when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholath.
20 And Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David: and Saul had word of it and was pleased.
21 And Saul said, I will give her to him, so that she may be a cause of danger to him, and so that the hands of the Philistines may be against him. So Saul said to David, Today you are to become my son-in-law for the second time.
22 And Saul gave his servants orders saying, Have talk with David secretly and say to him, See how the king has delight in you, and how you are loved by all his servants: then be the king's son-in-law.
23 And Saul's servants said these things to David. And David said, Does it seem to you a small thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, of no great name?
24 And the servants of Saul gave him an account of what David had said.
25 And Saul said, Then say to David, The king has no desire for any bride-price, but only for the private parts of a hundred Philistines so that the king may get the better of his haters. But it was in Saul's mind that David might come to his end by the hands of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants said these words to David, he was well pleased to be the son-in-law of the king. And the days were still not past.
27 So David and his men got up and went, and put to death two hundred of the Philistines; and David took their private parts and gave the full number of them to the king, so that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his wife.
28 And it was clear to Saul that the Lord was with David; and he was loved by all Israel.
29 And Saul's fear of David became all the greater, and he went on hating him, day by day.
30 Then the rulers of the Philistines went out to war: and whenever they went out, David did more wisely than all the other servants of Saul, so that his name became greatly honoured.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 18
Commentary on 1 Samuel 18 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The bond of friendship which Jonathan formed with David was so evidently the main point, that in 1 Samuel 18:1 the writer commences with the love of Jonathan to David, and then after that proceeds in 1 Samuel 18:2 to observe that Saul took David to himself from that day forward; whereas it is very evident that Saul told David, either at the time of his conversation with him or immediately afterwards, that he was henceforth to remain with him, i.e., in his service. “ The soul of Jonathan bound itself ( lit . chained itself; cf. Genesis 44:30) to David's soul, and Jonathan loved him as his soul .” The Chethibh ויּאהבו with the suffix ו attached to the imperfect is very rare, and hence the Keri ויּאהבהוּ (vid., Ewald , §249, b ., and Olshausen, Gramm . p. 469). לשׁוּב , to return to his house, viz., to engage in his former occupation as shepherd.
Jonathan made a covenant (i.e., a covenant of friendship) and (i.e., with) David , because he loved him as his soul.
As a sign and pledge of his friendship, Jonathan gave David his clothes and his armour . Meil , the upper coat or cloak. Maddim is probably the armour coat (vid., 1 Samuel 17:39). This is implied in the word ועד , which is repeated three times, and by which the different arms were attached more closely to מדּיו . For the act itself, compare the exchange of armour made by Glaucus and Diomedes (Hom. Il . vi. 230). This seems to have been a common custom in very ancient times, as we meet with it also among the early Celts (see Macpherson's Ossian ).
And David went out , sc., to battle; whithersoever Saul sent him, he acted wisely and prosperously ( ישׂכּיל , as in Joshua 1:8 : see at Deuteronomy 29:8). Saul placed him above the men of war in consequence, made him one of their commanders; and he pleased all the people, and the servants of Saul also, i.e., the courtiers of the king, who are envious as a general rule.
Saul's jealousy towards David .
(Note: The section 1 Samuel 18:6-14 is supposed by Thenius and others to have been taken by the compiler from a different source from the previous one, and not to have been written by the same author: (1) because the same thing is mentioned in 1 Samuel 18:13, 1 Samuel 18:14, as in 1 Samuel 18:5, though in a somewhat altered form, and 1 Samuel 18:10, 1 Samuel 18:11 occur again in 1 Samuel 19:9-10, with a few different words, and in a more appropriate connection; (2) because the contents of 1 Samuel 19:9, and the word ממּחרת in 1 Samuel 19:10, are most directly opposed to 1 Samuel 18:2 and 1 Samuel 18:5. On these grounds, no doubt, the lxx have not only omitted the beginning of 1 Samuel 18:6 from their version, but also 1 Samuel 18:9-11. But the supposed discrepancy between 1 Samuel 18:9 and 1 Samuel 18:10 and 1 Samuel 18:2 and 1 Samuel 18:5, - viz., that Saul could not have kept David by his side from attachment to him, or have placed him over his men of war after several prosperous expeditions, as is stated in 1 Samuel 18:2 and 1 Samuel 18:5, if he had looked upon him with jealous eyes from the very first day, or if his jealousy had broken out on the second day in the way described in 1 Samuel 18:10, 1 Samuel 18:11, - is founded upon two erroneous assumptions; viz., (1) that the facts contained in 1 Samuel 18:1-5 were contemporaneous with those in 1 Samuel 18:6-14; and (2) that everything contained in these two sections is to be regarded as strictly chronological. But the fact recorded in 1 Samuel 18:2, namely, that Saul took David to himself, and did not allow him to go back to his father's house any more, occurred unquestionably some time earlier than those mentioned in 1 Samuel 18:6. with their consequences. Saul took David to himself immediately after the defeat of Goliath, and before the war had been brought to an end. But the celebration of the victory, in which the paean of the women excited jealousy in Saul's mind, did not take place till the return of the people and of the king at the close of the war. How long the war lasted we do not know; but from the fact that the Israelites pursued the flying Philistines to Gath and Ekron, and then plundered the camp of the Philistines after that ( 1 Samuel 17:52-53), it certainly follows that some days, if not weeks, must have elapsed between David's victory over Goliath and the celebration of the triumph, after the expulsion of the Philistines from the land. Thus far the events described in the two sections are arranged in their chronological order; but for all the rest the facts are arranged antithetically, according to their peculiar character, whilst the consequences, which reached further than the facts that gave rise to them, and were to some extent contemporaneous, are appended immediately to the facts themselves. Thus David's going out whithersoever Saul sent him (1 Samuel 18:5) may indeed have commenced during the pursuit of the flying Philistines; but it reached far beyond this war, and continued even while Saul was looking upon him with jealous eyes. 1 Samuel 18:5 contains a general remark, with which the historian brings to a close one side of the relation between David and Saul, which grew out of David's victory. He then proceeds in 1 Samuel 18:6 to give the other side, and rounds off this paragraph also (1 Samuel 18:14-16) with a general remark, the substance of which resembles, in the main, the substance of 1 Samuel 18:5. At the same time it implies some progress, inasmuch as the delight of the people at the acts performed by David (1 Samuel 18:5) grew into love to David itself. This same progress is also apparent in 1 Samuel 18:13 (“ Saul made him captain over a thousand ”), as compared with 1 Samuel 18:5 (“ Saul set him over the men of war ”). Whether the elevation of David into a captain over a thousand was a higher promotion than his appointment over the men of war, or the latter expression is to be taken as simply a more general or indefinite term, denoting his promotion to the rank of commander-in-chief, is a point which can hardly be determined with certainty.)
- Saul had no sooner attached the conqueror of Goliath to his court, than he began to be jealous of him. The occasion for his jealousy was the celebration of victory at the close of the war with the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18:6-7
“ When they came ,” i.e., when the warriors returned with Saul from the war, “ when (as is added to explain what follows) David returned from the slaughter ,” i.e., from the war in which he had slain Goliath, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, “ to singing and dancing ,” i.e., to celebrate the victory with singing and choral dancing (see the remarks on Exodus 15:20), “ to meet king Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with triangles .” שׂמהה is used here to signify expressions of joy, a fête , as in Judges 16:23, etc. The striking position in which the word stands, viz., between two musical instruments, shows that, the word is to be understood here as referring specially to songs of rejoicing, since according to 1 Samuel 18:7 their playing was accompanied with singing. The women who “ sported ” ( משׂחקות ), i.e., performed mimic dances, sang in alternate choruses (“ answered ,” as in Exodus 15:21), “ Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands .”
1 Samuel 18:8
Saul was enraged at this. The words displeased him, so that he said, “ They have given David ten thousands, and to me thousands, and there is only the kingdom more for him ” (i.e., left for him to obtain). “In this foreboding utterance of Saul there was involved not only a conjecture which the result confirmed, but a deep inward truth: if the king of Israel stood powerless before the subjugators of his kingdom at so decisive a period as this, and a shepherd boy came and decided the victory, this was an additional mark of his rejection” ( O. v. Gerlach ).
1 Samuel 18:9
From that day forward Saul was looking askance at David. עון , a denom. verb, from עין , an eye, looking askance, is used for עוין ( Keri ).
1 Samuel 18:10-11
The next day the evil spirit fell upon Saul (“ the evil spirit of God ;” see at 1 Samuel 16:14), so that he raved in his house , and threw his javelin at David, who played before him “ as day by day ,” but did not hit him, because David turned away before him twice . התנבּא does not mean to prophesy in this instance, but “ to rave .” This use of the word is founded upon the ecstatic utterances, in which the supernatural influence of the Spirit of God manifested itself in the prophets (see at 1 Samuel 10:5). ויּטל , from טוּל , he hurled the javelin, and said (to himself), “ I will pierce David and the wall .” With such force did he hurl his spear; but David turned away from him, i.e., eluded it, twice. His doing so a second time presupposes that Saul hurled the javelin twice; that is to say, he probably swung it twice without letting it go out of his hand, - a supposition which is raised into certainty by the fact that it is not stated here that the javelin entered the wall, as in 1 Samuel 19:10. But even with this view יטל is not to be changed into יטּל , as Thenius proposes, since the verb נטל cannot be proved to have ever the meaning to swing. Saul seems to have held the javelin in his hand as a sceptre, according to ancient custom.
1 Samuel 18:12-13
“ And Saul was afraid of David, because the Spirit of Jehovah was with him, and had departed from Saul; ” he “ removed him therefore from him ,” i.e., from his immediate presence, by appointing him chief captain over thousand. In this fear of David on the part of Saul, the true reason for his hostile behaviour is pointed out with deep psychological truth. The fear arose from the consciousness that the Lord had departed from him, - a consciousness which forced itself involuntarily upon him, and drove him to make the attempt, in a fit of madness, to put David to death. The fact that David did not leave Saul immediately after this attempt upon his life, may be explained not merely on the supposition that he looked upon this attack as being simply an outburst of momentary madness, which would pass away, but still more from his firm believing confidence, which kept him from forsaking the post in which the Lord had placed him without any act of his own, until he saw that Saul was plotting to take his life, not merely in these fits of insanity, but also at other times, in calm deliberation (vid., 1 Samuel 19:1.).
1 Samuel 18:14-16
As chief commander over thousand, he went out and in before the people, i.e., he carried out military enterprises, and that so wisely and prosperously, that the blessing of the Lord rested upon all he did. But these successes on David's part increased Saul's fear of him, whereas all Israel and Judah came to love him as their leader. David's success in all that he took in hand compelled Saul to promote him; and his standing with the people increased with his promotion. But as the Spirit of God had departed from Saul, this only filled him more and more with dread of David as his rival. As the hand of the Lord was visibly displayed in David's success, so, on the other hand, Saul's rejection by God was manifested in his increasing fear of David.
Craftiness of Saul in the betrothal of his daughters to David . - 1 Samuel 18:17. As Saul had promised to give his daughter for a wife to the conqueror of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25), he felt obliged, by the growing love and attachment of the people to David, to fulfil this promise, and told him that he was ready to do so, with the hope of finding in this some means of destroying David. He therefore offered him his elder daughter Merab with words that sounded friendly and kind: “ Only be a brave man to me, and wage the wars of the Lord .” He called the wars with the Philistines “ wars of Jehovah ,” i.e., wars for the maintenance and defence of the kingdom of God, to conceal his own cunning design, and make David feel all the more sure that the king's heart was only set upon the welfare of the kingdom of God. Whoever waged the wars of the Lord might also hope for the help of the Lord. But Saul had intentions of a very different kind. He thought (“ said ,” sc., to himself), “ My hand shall not be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him ;” i.e., I will not put him to death; the Philistines may do that. When Saul's reason had returned, he shrank from laying hands upon David again, as he had done before in a fit of madness. He therefore hoped to destroy him through the medium of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18:18
But David replied with true humility, without suspecting the craftiness of Saul: “ Who am I, and what is my condition in life, my father's family in Israel, that I should become son-in-law to the king? ” חיּי מי is a difficult expression, and has been translated in different ways, as the meaning which suggests itself first (viz., “ what is my life ”) is neither reconcilable with the מי (the interrogative personal pronoun), nor suitable to the context. Gesenius ( Thes . p. 471) and Böttcher give the meaning “ people ” for חיּים , and Ewald ( Gramm . §179, b .) the meaning “ family .” But neither of these meanings can be established. חיּים seems evidently to signify the condition in life, the relation in which a person stands to others, and מי is to be explained on the ground that David referred to the persons who formed the class to which he belonged. “ My father's family ” includes all his relations. David's meaning was, that neither on personal grounds, nor on account of his social standing, nor because of his lineage, could he make the slightest pretension to the honour of becoming the son-in-law of the king.
1 Samuel 18:19
But Saul did not keep his promise. When the time arrived for its fulfilment, he gave his daughter to Adriel the Meholathite , a man of whom nothing further is known.
(Note: 1 Samuel 18:17-19 are omitted from the Septuagint version; but they are so, no doubt, only because Saul's first promise was without result so far as David was concerned.)
1 Samuel 18:20-21
Michal is married to David . - The pretext under which Saul broke his promise is not given, but it appears to have been, at any rate in part, that Merab had no love to David. This may be inferred from 1 Samuel 18:17, 1 Samuel 18:18, compared with 1 Samuel 18:20. Michal, the younger daughter of Saul, loved David . When Saul was told this, the thing was quite right in his eyes. He said, “ I will give her to him, that she may become a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may come upon him ” (sc., if he tries to get the price which I shall require a dowry; cf. 1 Samuel 18:25). He therefore said to David, “ In a second way ( בּשׁתּים , as in Job 33:14) shalt thou become my son-in-law .” Saul said this casually to David; but he made no reply, because he had found out the fickleness of Saul, and therefore put no further trust in his words.
1 Samuel 18:22
Saul therefore employed his courtiers to persuade David to accept his offer. In this way we may reconcile in a very simple manner the apparent discrepancy, that Saul is said to have offered his daughter to David himself, and yet he commissioned his servants to talk to David privately of the king's willingness to give him his daughter. The omission of 1 Samuel 18:21 in the Septuagint is to be explained partly from the fact that בּשׁתּים points back to 1 Samuel 18:17-19, which are wanting in this version, and partly also in all probability from the idea entertained by the translators that the statement itself is at variance with 1 Samuel 18:22. The courtiers were to talk to David בּלּט , “ in private ,” i.e., as though they were doing it behind the king's back.
1 Samuel 18:23
David replied to the courtiers, “ Does it seem to you a little thing to become son-in-law to the king, seeing that I am a poor and humble man? ” “ Poor ,” i.e., utterly unable to offer anything like a suitable dowry to the king. This reply was given by David in perfect sincerity, since he could not possibly suppose that the king would give him his daughter without a considerable marriage portion.
1 Samuel 18:24-25
When this answer was reported to the king, he sent word through his courtiers what the price was for which he would give him his daughter. He required no dowry (see at Genesis 34:12), but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, i.e., the slaughter of a hundred Philistines, and the proof that this had been done, to avenge himself upon the enemies of the king; whereas, as the writer observes, Saul supposed that he should thus cause David to fall, i.e., bring about his death by the hand of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18:26-27
But David was satisfied with Saul's demand, since he had no suspicion of his craftiness, and loved Michal. Even before the days were full, i.e., before the time appointed for the delivery of the dowry and for the marriage had arrived, he rose up with his men, smote two hundred Philistines, and brought their foreskins, which were placed in their full number before the king; whereupon Saul was obliged to give him Michal his daughter to wife. The words “ and the days were not full ” (1 Samuel 18:26) form a circumstantial clause, which is to be connected with the following sentence, “ David arose ,” etc. David delivered twice the price demanded. “ They made them full to the king ,” i.e., they placed them in their full number before him.
1 Samuel 18:28-29
The knowledge of the fact that David had carried out all his enterprises with success had already filled the melancholy king with fear. But when the failure of this new plan for devoting David to certain death had forced the conviction upon him that Jehovah was with David, and that he was miraculously protected by Him; and when, in addition to this, there was the love of his daughter Michal to David; his fear of David grew into a lifelong enmity. Thus his evil spirit urged him ever forward to greater and greater hardness of heart.
1 Samuel 18:30
The occasion for the practical manifestation of this enmity was the success of David in all his engagements with the Philistines. As often as the princes of the Philistines went out (sc., to war with Israel), David acted more wisely and prosperously than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was held in great honour. With this general remark the way is prepared for the further history of Saul's conduct towards David.