1 Samuel 18:17-30

David Marries Michal

17 Then Saul said to David, "Here is ¹my elder daughter Merab. ²I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me ³and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, ⁴but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."

18 And David said to Saul, ⁵"Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

19 But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to ⁶Adriel the ⁷Meholathite for a wife.

20 Now ⁸Saul's daughter Michal ⁹loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

21 Saul thought, "Let me give her to him, that she may ¹⁰be a snare for him ¹¹and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David a second time,^[a]12"You shall now be my son-in-law."

22 And Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in private and say, 'Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king's son-in-law.'"

23 And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, ¹³"Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?"

24 And the servants of Saul told him, "Thus and so did David speak."

25 Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king desires no ¹⁴bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ¹⁵that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.'"¹⁶Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. ¹⁷Before the time had expired,

27 David arose and went, ¹⁸along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. ¹⁹And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.

28 But when Saul saw and knew that ²⁰the LORD was with David, ²¹and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him,

29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.

30 ²²Then the princes of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out ²³David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

1 Samuel 18:17-30 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. 1 Samuel 14:49
• 2. 1 Samuel 17:25
• 3. 1 Samuel 25:28
• 4. ver. 21, 25
• 5. ver. 23; 2 Samuel 7:18
• 6. [2 Samuel 21:8]
• 7. Judges 7:22
• 8. [See ver. 17 above]
• 9. ver. 28
• 10. Exodus 10:7
• 11. ver. 17
• 12. [ver. 26]
• 13. [Numbers 16:9]
• 14. Genesis 34:12; Exodus 22:17
• 15. 1 Samuel 14:24
• 16. ver. 17, 21
• 17. [ver. 21]
• 18. ver. 13
• 19. 2 Samuel 3:14
• 20. ver. 12
• 21. ver. 20
• 22. 1 Samuel 19:8; [2 Samuel 11:1]
• 23. ver. 5

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew by two