1 Samuel 18:23

23 Y los siervos de Saúl hablaron estas palabras a oídos de David. Pero David dijo: ¿Os parece poca cosa llegar a ser yerno del rey, siendo yo un hombre pobre y de poca estima?

1 Samuel 18:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:23

And Saul's servants spake these words in the ears of David,
&c.] Those before related, which Saul commanded them to speak, which they delivered exactly according to their orders, with an audible voice, clearly, plainly, and distinctly, so that David might hear and understand them:

and David said, seemeth it to you [a] light [thing] to be a king's son
in law;
a small a trifling matter, an easy thing to come into, every thing requisite to it:

seeing that I [am] a poor man;
and not able to give a dowry suitable to the daughter of a king; it being usual in those times for a man to give a dowry to, and not receive a portion with a wife; and which also was the custom of the Germans, as Tacitus ^F24 relates; and this was to be according to the rank and quality of the person married, and which in this case David was not equal to:

and lightly esteemed?
not by the people of Israel and Judah, who loved him, as he was loved even by the servants of Saul, at least in profession; but by Saul himself, who had slighted him in giving his elder daughter to another man, when he had promised her to him, which was discouraging to David, and resented by him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 De Moribus German. c. 18.

1 Samuel 18:23 In-Context

21 Y Saúl se dijo: Se la daré para que le sirva de lazo y para que la mano de los filisteos sea contra él. Saúl, pues, dijo a David por segunda vez: Serás mi yerno hoy.

22 Entonces Saúl ordenó a sus siervos: Hablad en secreto a David, diciendo: "He aquí, el rey se deleita en ti y todos sus siervos te aman; ahora pues, sé yerno del rey."

23 Y los siervos de Saúl hablaron estas palabras a oídos de David. Pero David dijo: ¿Os parece poca cosa llegar a ser yerno del rey, siendo yo un hombre pobre y de poca estima?

24 Y los siervos de Saúl le informaron conforme a estas palabras que David había hablado.

25 Entonces Saúl dijo: Así diréis a David: "El rey no desea dote alguna, sino cien prepucios de los filisteos, para tomar venganza de los enemigos del rey." Pero Saúl pensaba hacer caer a David por mano de los filisteos.