1 Samuel 18:23

23 Und die Knechte Sauls redeten solche Worte vor den Ohren Davids. David aber sprach: Dünkt euch das ein Geringes, des Königs Eidam zu sein? Ich aber bin ein armer, geringer Mann.

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 ich will sie ihm geben, daß sie ihm zum Fall gerate und der Philister Hände über ihn kommen. Und sprach zu David: Du sollst heute mit der andern mein Eidam werden. {~}

22 Und Saul gebot seinen Knechten: Redet mit David heimlich und sprecht: Siehe, der König hat Lust zu dir, und alle seine Knechte lieben dich; so sei nun des Königs Eidam.

23 Und die Knechte Sauls redeten solche Worte vor den Ohren Davids. David aber sprach: Dünkt euch das ein Geringes, des Königs Eidam zu sein? Ich aber bin ein armer, geringer Mann.

24 Und die Knechte Sauls sagten es ihm wieder und sprachen: Solche Worte hat David geredet.

25 Saul sprach: So sagt zu David: Der König begehrt keine Morgengabe, nur hundert Vorhäute von den Philistern, daß man sich räche an des Königs Feinden. Denn Saul trachtete David zu fällen durch der Philister Hand.