1 Samuel 18:6

6 Or, comme ils rentraient, lorsque David revenait de la défaite du Philistin, il sortit des femmes de toutes les villes d'Israël, chantant et dansant, au-devant du roi Saül, avec des tambours, avec des cris de joie, et avec des triangles;

1 Samuel 18:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:6

And it came to pass, as they came
The armies of Israel, with their commanders at the head of them:

when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine;
either from the slaughter of Goliath, with his head in his hand, going to Jerusalem, and Saul accompanying him; or rather from the slaughter of the Philistines at some other time, the singular being put for the plural; since, according to the order of the history, this seems to be done after David was brought to court, and had been made a captain, and had been sent out on military expeditions, and had been successful therein, and from one of which he now returned:

that the women came out of all the cities of Israel;
through which they passed:

singing and dancing;
as were usual after great victories obtained, and deliverances wrought, the female sex being generally greatly affected with such things; since when things go otherwise they suffer much, and their fears rise high in time of battle; and when victory goes on their side, it gives them great joy, and which they used to express in this way:

to meet King Saul;
the commander-in-chief, with his other officers, and David among the rest:

with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music;
with pipes or flutes, which they both blew with their mouths, and played on with their hands, and other musical instruments exciting joy; the last word is, by the Targum, rendered,

``with cymbals;''

and so the Septuagint version; it signifies a musical instrument of three cords, according to Kimchi; and others, as Ben Gersom, understand it of principal songs, in which things wonderful, excellent, and honourable, were spoken of: see ( Exodus 15:20 ) ( Judges 11:34 ) . Such sort of women were among the Romans called Cymballatriae and Tympanistriae ^F20, who shook the cymbals, and beat upon tabrets and drums at times of rejoicing.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Vid. Pignorium de Servis, p. 166, 174.

1 Samuel 18:6 In-Context

4 Et Jonathan se dépouilla du manteau qu'il portait, et le donna à David, avec ses habits, et jusqu'à son épée, son arc et sa ceinture.

5 Et David allait en campagne; il réussissait partout où Saül l'envoyait, et Saül l'établit sur les gens de guerre; et il fut agréable à tout le peuple, et même aux serviteurs de Saül.

6 Or, comme ils rentraient, lorsque David revenait de la défaite du Philistin, il sortit des femmes de toutes les villes d'Israël, chantant et dansant, au-devant du roi Saül, avec des tambours, avec des cris de joie, et avec des triangles;

7 Et les femmes qui jouaient des instruments se répondaient les unes aux autres, et disaient: Saül a frappé ses mille, et David ses dix mille.

8 Et Saül fut fort irrité, et cette parole lui déplut; elles ont donné, dit-il, dix mille hommes à David, et à moi mille; il ne lui manque donc plus que le royaume!