1 Samuel 18:27

27 David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as 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 Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, "The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king's enemies.' " Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired,
27 David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.
28 But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him,
29 Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Gk Compare 2 Sam 3.14: Heb [two hundred]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.