1 Samuel 18:9-19

9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10 And it came to pass the next day that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, but David played with his hand, as on other days; and the spear was in Saul's hand.

11 And Saul cast the spear, and thought, I will smite David and the wall. But David turned away from him twice.

12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and had departed from Saul.

13 And Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14 And David prospered in all his ways; and Jehovah was with him.

15 And Saul saw that he prospered well, and he stood in awe of him.

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

17 And Saul said to David, Behold my eldest daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah's battles. But Saul thought, My hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.

18 And David said to Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

19 And it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.

1 Samuel 18:9-19 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. 'said;' so ver. 17; ch. 20.3,26.
• [b]. That is 'transfix him to the wall.'
• [c]. Or 'for.'
• [d]. Or 'behaved wisely:' see ver. 30; Jer. 23.5.