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
1When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.
5David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7The women sang to one another as they played, and said,
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
8Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” 9Saul watched David from that day and forward. 10On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. 12Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him. 15When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. 17Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”
18David 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?”
19But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall today be my son-in-law.”
22Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’”
23Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”
24The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
25Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline, 27David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife. 28Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. 29Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
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