1 Samuel 18:18

18 “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!”

1 Samuel 18:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:18

And David said unto Saul
Surprised at the offer Saul made him, yet not refusing it, but expressing himself with great modesty and humility:

who [am] I?
as to his person, parentage, and employment, mean and despicable, at least in his own eyes, a type of the lowly Jesus, ( Matthew 11:29 ) ;

and what [is] my life?
keeping sheep, for from thence was he taken and advanced; though some think his meaning is, that to hazard his life, as Saul proposed, was not equivalent to such an honour he meant to confer upon him, and that he was ready to do it at all times:

[or] my father's family in Israel;
though in an honourable tribe, and was an honourable family, yet it seems not to be very great, at least was not in David's esteem worthy of such high advancement, as that one of it should be so nearly related to the king; Ben Gersom thinks David has reference to the original of his family, Ruth the Moabitess:

that I should be son in law to the king?
as he would be by marrying his daughter.

1 Samuel 18:18 In-Context

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.

17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the LORD ’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”

18 “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!”

19 So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.

20 In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it.