1 Samuel 18
18
Saul Comes to Fear David
1 When David#tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship.#tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.” Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.#tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”sn On the nature of Jonathan’s love for David, see J. A. Thompson, “The Significance of the Verb Love in the David-Jonathan Narratives in 1 Samuel,” VT 24 (1974): 334-38. 2 Saul retained David#tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life.#tn Heb “like his [own] soul.” 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear, including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants.#tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
6 When the men#tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers. arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments.#tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.” 7 The women who were playing the music sang,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands!”
8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought,#tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17. “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre#tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.” that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 Saul removed David#tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. from his presence and made him a commanding officer.#tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.” David led the army out to battle and back.#tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16. 14 Now David achieved success in all he did,#tn Heb “in all his ways.” for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.
17#tc Much of the ms evidence for the LXX lacks vv. 17-19. Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior#tn Heb “son of valor.” for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”
18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father#tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word. in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.
20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it#tn Heb “the matter.” pleased him. 21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.”#tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX mss.
22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.” 23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately#tn Heb “in the ears of.” to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”
24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his#tn Heb “the king’s.” enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)
26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed#tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.” to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired#tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.” 27 when David, along with his men, went out#tn Heb “arose and went.” and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28 When Saul realized#tn Heb “saw and knew.” that the Lord was with David and that his#tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons. daughter Michal loved David,#tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 29 Saul became even more afraid of him.#tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons. Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on.#tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX mss.tn Heb “all the days.” 30#tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX mss. Then the leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.
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1 Samuel 18
18
1And when he had made an ende of speaking vnto Saul, the soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of Dauid, and Ionathan loued him, as his owne soule. 2And Saul tooke him that day, and woulde not let him returne to his fathers house. 3Then Ionathan and Dauid made a couenant: for he loued him as his owne soule. 4And Ionathan put off the robe that was vpon him, and gaue it Dauid, and his garments, euen to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 5And Dauid went out whithersoeuer Saul sent him, and behaued himselfe wisely: so that Saul set him ouer the men of warre, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Sauls seruants. 6When they came againe, and Dauid returned from the slaughter of the Philistim, the women came out of all cities of Israel singing and dauncing to meete king Saul, with timbrels, with instruments of ioy, and with rebeckes. 7And the women sang by course in their play, and sayd, Saul hath slayne his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand. 8Therefore Saul was exceeding wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he sayde, They haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousand, and to me they haue ascribed but a thousand, and what can he haue more saue the kingdome? 9Wherefore Saul had an eye on Dauid from that day forward. 10And on the morowe, the euill spirite of God came vpon Saul, and he prophecied in the middes of the house: and Dauid played with his hand like as at other times, and there was a speare in Sauls hand. 11And Saul tooke the speare, and sayd, I will smite Dauid through to the wall. But Dauid auoyded twise out of his presence. 12And Saul was afrayd of Dauid, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul put him from him, and made him a captaine ouer a thousand, and he went out and in before the people. 14And Dauid behaued himselfe wisely in all his wayes: for the Lord was with him. 15Wherefore when Saul saw that he was very wise, he was afrayde of him. 16For all Israel and Iudah loued Dauid, because he went out and in before them. 17Then Saul sayd to Dauid, Beholde mine eldest daughter Merab, her I will giue thee to wife: onely be a valiant sonne vnto me, and fight the Lordes battels: for Saul thought, Mine hand shall not be vpon him, but the hand of the Philistims shalbe vpon him. 18And Dauid answered Saul, What am I? and what is my life, or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be sonne in law to the King? 19Howbeit when Merab Sauls daughter should haue bene giuen to Dauid, she was giuen vnto Adriel a Meholathite to wife. 20Then Michal Sauls daughter loued Dauid: and they shewed Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21Therefore Saul said, I wil giue him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistims may bee against him. Wherefore Saul sayde to Dauid, Thou shalt this day be my sonne in law in the one of the twayne. 22And Saul commanded his seruants, Speake with Dauid secretly, and say, Behold, ye King hath a fauour to thee, and all his seruants loue thee: be now therefore the Kings sonne in law. 23And Sauls seruantes spake these wordes in the eares of Dauid. And Dauid sayd, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a Kings sonne in lawe, seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation? 24And then Sauls seruats brought him word againe, saying, Such wordes spake Dauid. 25And Saul sayd, This wise shall ye say to Dauid, The King desireth no dowrie, but an hundred foreskinnes of the Philistims, to bee auenged of the Kings enemies: for Saul thought to make Dauid fall into the handes of the Philistims. 26And when his seruantes tolde Dauid these wordes, it pleased Dauid well, to be the Kings sonne in law: and the dayes were not expired. 27Afterwarde Dauid arose with his men, and went and slewe of the Philistims two hundreth men: and Dauid brought their foreskinnes, and they gaue them wholly to the King that hee might be the Kings sonne in lawe: therefore Saul gaue him Michal his daughter to wife. 28Then Saul sawe, and vnderstoode that the Lord was with Dauid, and that Michal the daughter of Saul loued him. 29Then Saul was more and more afrayde of Dauid, and Saul became alway Dauids enemie. 30And when the Princes of the Philistims went forth, at their going forth Dauid behaued himselfe more wisely then all the seruants of Saul, so that his name was much set by.
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