1 Samuel 18:13-23

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?

1 Samuel 18:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 18

This chapter gives an account of the respect shown to David by Saul and Jonathan, by the servants of Saul, and all the people, and of what was said in his praise in the songs of the women, 1Sa 18:1-7; which latter gave Saul a great offence, and upon which he envied him, and eyed him, and indeed sought his life, and removed him from him; and yet still he continued the darling of the people, behaving wisely among them, which greatly embarrassed Saul, that be knew not what to do, 1Sa 18:8-16; he proposed his eldest daughter to him in marriage, which he had a claim to by killing the Philistine, and then he cheated him by giving her to another, 1Sa 18:17-19; and then he offered his youngest daughter to him, on condition that he would bring him an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, execution of which he thought his life would be exposed to danger, which yet he performed, 1Sa 18:20-27; and having the affection of his wife, and the good esteem of the servants of Saul, Saul was more afraid of him, and became his enemy, 1Sa 18:28-30.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'for.'
• [b]. Or 'behaved wisely:' see ver. 30; Jer. 23.5.
• [c]. Some connect 'a second time' with the preceding clause; others translate, 'by one of the two.'