1 Samuel 18:23

23 Esto se lo repitieron a David, pero él respondió:—¿Creen que es cosa fácil ser yerno del rey? ¡Yo no soy más que un plebeyo insignificante!

1 Samuel 18:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:23

And Saul's servants spake these words in the ears of David,
&c.] Those before related, which Saul commanded them to speak, which they delivered exactly according to their orders, with an audible voice, clearly, plainly, and distinctly, so that David might hear and understand them:

and David said, seemeth it to you [a] light [thing] to be a king's son
in law;
a small a trifling matter, an easy thing to come into, every thing requisite to it:

seeing that I [am] a poor man;
and not able to give a dowry suitable to the daughter of a king; it being usual in those times for a man to give a dowry to, and not receive a portion with a wife; and which also was the custom of the Germans, as Tacitus ^F24 relates; and this was to be according to the rank and quality of the person married, and which in this case David was not equal to:

and lightly esteemed?
not by the people of Israel and Judah, who loved him, as he was loved even by the servants of Saul, at least in profession; but by Saul himself, who had slighted him in giving his elder daughter to another man, when he had promised her to him, which was discouraging to David, and resented by him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 De Moribus German. c. 18.

1 Samuel 18:23 In-Context

21 y pensó: «Se la entregaré a él, como una trampa para que caiga en manos de los filisteos». Así que volvió a decirle a David:—Ahora sí vas a ser mi yerno.

22 Entonces Saúl ordenó a sus funcionarios:—Hablen con David en privado y díganle: “Oye, el rey te aprecia, y todos sus funcionarios te quieren. Acepta ser su yerno”.

23 Esto se lo repitieron a David, pero él respondió:—¿Creen que es cosa fácil ser yerno del rey? ¡Yo no soy más que un plebeyo insignificante!

24 Los funcionarios le comunicaron a Saúl la reacción de David.

25 Pero Saúl insistió:—Díganle a David: “Lo único que el rey quiere es vengarse de sus enemigos, y como dote por su hija pide cien prepucios de filisteos”.En realidad, lo que Saúl quería era que David cayera en manos de los filisteos.