1 Samuel 18:27

27 and David riseth and goeth, he and his men, and smiteth among the Philistines two hundred men, and David bringeth in their foreskins, and they set them before the king, to be son-in-law to the king; and Saul giveth to him Michal his daughter for a wife.

1 Samuel 18:27 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:27

Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of
the Philistines two hundred men
This he did himself, for the verb is singular, and which were an hundred more than required; this he did to show his regard to the orders of Saul, and his obedience to him, and to testify the sincerity of his afflictions to his daughter, for whose sake he risked his life in this expedition, as well as to express his zeal for God, and his country, against their avowed enemies; the Greek version has only one hundred men, see ( 2 Samuel 3:14 ) ;

and David brought their foreskins;
along with him to Saul's court, having taken them off when slain. Josephus says F26 he cut off their heads, and brought them to him, and he makes the number to be six hundred; neither are according to the text, but to make his history more agreeable to the Gentiles, see ( 1 Samuel 18:21 ) ; an Arabic writer F1 makes mention of a people, that cut off the genital parts of men, and gave them to their wives for their dowry:

and they gave them in full tale to the king;
the messengers David sent in with them, even the full tale of two hundred, which were as many more as were demanded:

that he might be the king's son in law;
being now as desirous of it as the king was:

and Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife;
which he could not in honour refuse to do, seeing he had performed the condition he had required. David's marriage of the younger sister, when upon various considerations it might have been expected that he should have married the elder, may be an emblem of Christ's espousing the Gentile church, when the Jewish church, her elder sister, is neglected by him, she having rejected him.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 10. sect. 3.
F1 Alcamus apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 1. c. 19. col. 130.

1 Samuel 18:27 In-Context

25 And Saul saith, `Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines -- to be avenged on the enemies of the king;' and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And his servants declare to David these words, and the thing is right in the eyes of David, to be son-in-law to the king; and the days have not been full,
27 and David riseth and goeth, he and his men, and smiteth among the Philistines two hundred men, and David bringeth in their foreskins, and they set them before the king, to be son-in-law to the king; and Saul giveth to him Michal his daughter for a wife.
28 And Saul seeth and knoweth that Jehovah [is] with David, and Michal daughter of Saul hath loved him,
29 and Saul addeth to be afraid of the presence of David yet; and Saul is an enemy with David all the days.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.