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.'
And the men of Israel say, `Have ye seen this man who is coming up? for, to reproach Israel he is coming up, and it hath been -- the man who smiteth him, the king doth enrich him with great riches, and his daughter he doth give to him, and his father's house doth make free in Israel.'
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.
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.'
and all this assembly do know that not by sword and by spear doth Jehovah save, that the battle `is' Jehovah's, and He hath given you into our hand.'
And Moses saith unto them, `If ye do this thing: if ye are armed before Jehovah for battle,
and thy servants pass over, every armed one of the host, before Jehovah, to battle, as my lord is saying.'
the hand of the witnesses is on him, in the first place, to put him to death, and the hand of all the people last; and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst.
and he writeth in the letter, saying, `Place ye Uriah over-against the front of the severest battle, and ye have turned back from after him, and he hath been smitten, and hath died.'
Vanity they speak each with his neighbour, Lip of flattery! With heart and heart they speak.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 18
Commentary on 1 Samuel 18 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 18
In the course of the foregoing chapter we left David in triumph; now in this chapter we have,
1Sa 18:1-5
David was anointed to the crown to take it out of Saul's hand, and over Jonathan's head, and yet here we find,
1Sa 18:6-11
Now begin David's troubles, and they not only tread on the heels of his triumphs, but take rise from them, such is the vanity of that in this world which seems greatest.
1Sa 18:12-30
Saul had now, in effect, proclaimed war with David. He began in open hostility when he threw the javelin at him. Now we are here told how his enmity proceeded, and how David received the attacks of it.