1 Samuel 18:18-28

18 And David said to Saul, Who am I, either what is my life, either (what is) the family of my father in Israel, that I (should) be made the son-in-law of the king?
19 And when the time came that Merab, the daughter of Saul, should have been given wife to David, she was given wife to Adriel Meholathite. (But when the time came that Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given for a wife to David, instead she was given for a wife to Adriel the Meholathite.)
20 Forsooth David loved Michal, the [tother] daughter of Saul; and it was told to Saul, and it pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I shall give her to him, that it be to him into cause of stumbling, and the hand of Philistines be upon him. Therefore Saul said to David, In (wedding one of my) two daughters thou shalt be my son-in-law today. (And Saul said, I shall give her to him, so that she shall become a cause of stumbling to him, and so that the hands of the Philistines shall be upon him. And so Saul said to David, By wedding my younger daughter, on that day thou shalt become my son-in-law.)
22 And Saul commanded to his servants, (and said,) Speak ye privily to David, as if it were me unwitting (Speak ye privately to David, as if I did not know it), and say ye to him, Lo! thou pleasest the king, and all his servants love thee; now therefore be thou [the] husband of the king's daughter.
23 And the servants of Saul spake all these words in the ears of David. And David said, Whether it seem little to you (for) me to be the king's son-in-law? Forsooth I am a poor man, and a feeble (I am but a poor and feeble man).
24 And the servants told to Saul, and said, David spake such words.
25 Soothly Saul said, Thus speak ye to David, The king hath no need to gifts for spousals, no but only to an hundred prepuces, that is, men's rods uncircumcised, of the Philistines, that vengeance be made of the king's enemies. Certainly Saul thought to betake David into the hands of Philistines. (And Saul said, Speak ye thus to David, and say, The king hath no need for wedding gifts, but only for a hundred prepuces, that is, the rods of a hundred uncircumcised men, of the Philistines, so that vengeance be taken upon the king's enemies. For Saul intended to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.)
26 And when the servants of Saul had told to David the words, which Saul had said, the word pleased in the eyes of David, that he should be made the king's son-in-law. And after a few days, (And when Saul's servants told David what Saul had said, it pleased him, that he could become the king's son-in-law. And so, after a few days,)
27 David rose up, and went into Ekron, with the men that were with him, and he killed of Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their prepuces, and he numbered those to the king, that he should be the king's son-in-law. And so Saul gave Michal, his daughter, wife to him. (David rose up, and went to Ekron, with the men who were with him, and he killed two hundred of the Philistine men; and David brought their foreskins, and he counted those out to the king, so that he could be made the king's son-in-law. And so Saul gave Michal, his daughter, for a wife to him.)
28 And Saul saw, and understood, that the Lord was with David. Certainly Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David,

1 Samuel 18:18-28 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.