1 Samuel 18:8-29

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”

9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

10 The next day an evil^[a] spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand

11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.

13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.

14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him.

15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”

19 So^[b] when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’ ”

23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said,

25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,

27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,

29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

1 Samuel 18:8-29 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.

Cross References

• 1. S 1 Samuel 13:14; 1 Samuel 15:8
• 2. 1 Samuel 19:1
• 3. S Judges 9:23; S 1 Samuel 16:14
• 4. S 1 Samuel 10:5
• 5. 1 Samuel 16:21; 1 Samuel 19:7
• 6. S 1 Samuel 17:6
• 7. ver 25; 1 Samuel 20:7,33
• 8. 1 Samuel 19:10
• 9. Psalms 132:1
• 10. ver 29; ver 15,29
• 11. 1 Samuel 16:13
• 12. Joshua 1:5; 1 Samuel 17:37; 1 Samuel 20:13; 1 Chronicles 22:11; 1 Samuel 28:15
• 13. S Judges 16:20
• 14. ver 16; Numbers 27:17
• 15. 2 Samuel 5:2
• 16. S Genesis 39:3
• 17. S Genesis 39:2; S Numbers 14:43; 2 Samuel 7:9; Genesis 39:2,23; Joshua 6:27; 1 Samuel 16:18
• 18. 2 Samuel 5:2; ver 5
• 19. 1 Samuel 17:25
• 20. S Genesis 29:26
• 21. S Numbers 21:14; 1 Samuel 25:28
• 22. ver 25; 1 Samuel 20:33
• 23. S Exodus 3:11; S 1 Samuel 9:21; 2 Samuel 7:18
• 24. ver 23
• 25. 2 Samuel 21:8
• 26. S Judges 7:22
• 27. ver 28; S Genesis 29:26
• 28. ver 29
• 29. S Exodus 10:7; S Deuteronomy 7:16; ver 17,26
• 30. ver 18
• 31. S Genesis 34:12; Exodus 22:17; 1 Samuel 14:24
• 32. Psalms 8:2; Psalms 44:16; Jeremiah 20:10
• 33. S ver 11,S 17; ver 17
• 34. ver 13; 2 Samuel 3:14; 2 Samuel 6:16
• 35. S ver 20
• 36. ver 12

Footnotes

• [a] Or "a harmful"
• [b] Or "However,"