1 Samuel 18:17-30

David Marries Saul’s Daughter Michal

17 Then Saul said to David, "Here [is] my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as [your] wife. Only be {a brave warrior} for me and fight the battles of Yahweh." For Saul thought, "My hand will not be against him, but let the hand of [the] Philistines be against him."
18 But David said to Saul, "Who [am] I, and [who are] my relatives, the clan of my father in Israel, that I should be a son-in-law to the king?"
19 {But} at the time Saul's daughter Merab [was] to be given to David, she was given [instead] to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David, so they told Saul, and the matter {pleased him}.
21 And Saul thought, "I will give her to him, so that she may be a snare for him and the hand of [the] Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David, "For a second [time] you can become my son-in-law today."
22 Then Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in secret, saying, 'Look, the king [is] pleased with you, and all his servants love you. So then, become a son-in-law of the king.'"
23 And Saul's servants spoke these words {to David privately}. But David said, "[Is] it insignificant {in your sight} to become the son-in-law of the king, [as] I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?"
24 So the servants of Saul informed him, saying, "{This is what David said}."
25 Then Saul said, "This [is] what you must say to David: '{The king desires no bride price} except for a hundred foreskins of [the] Philistines, to avenge himself on the enemies of the king.'" (Now Saul had planned to allow David to fall by the hand of [the] Philistines.)
26 So his servants told David these words, and the matter {pleased David} to become the son-in-law of the king [as] {the specified time had not expired}.
27 And David got up, and he and his men went and struck down two hundred men [of the] Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and {they presented the full number} to become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as [his] wife.
28 When Saul {realized} that Yahweh [was] with David and {his own daughter Michal} loved him,
29 Saul {was threatened by David still more}, so Saul {became a perpetual enemy of David}.
30 Then the commanders of [the] Philistines went out [for battle], and as often as they went out, David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very esteemed.

1 Samuel 18:17-30 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 14

  • [a]. Literally "a son of valor"
  • [b]. Literally "And it happened"
  • [c]. Literally "was right in his eyes"
  • [d]. Literally "in the ears of David"
  • [e]. Literally "in your eyes"
  • [f]. Literally "According to these words David spoke"
  • [g]. Literally "There [is] not a desire for the king for a bride price"
  • [h]. Literally "was right in the eyes of David"
  • [i]. Literally "the days were not full"
  • [j]. Literally "they filled them up"
  • [k]. Literally "saw and knew"
  • [l]. Literally "Michal the daughter of Saul"
  • [m]. Literally "added to be afraid from the presence of David"
  • [n]. Literally "was an enemy with David all the days"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.