1 Samuel 18
18
David and Jonathan Become Friends
1-2Saul decided to take David with him. He would not let David go back home to his father. After David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan developed a strong friendship with David.#18:1-2 Jonathan … with David Literally, “Jonathan’s soul was tied to David’s soul.” 3Jonathan loved David as much as himself, so they made a special agreement. 4Jonathan took off the coat he was wearing and gave it to David. In fact, Jonathan gave David his whole uniform—including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
Saul Notices David’s Success
5David went to fight wherever Saul sent him. He was very successful, so Saul put him in charge of the soldiers. This pleased everyone, even Saul’s officers. 6David would go out to fight against the Philistines. On the way home, after the battles, women in every town in Israel would come out to meet him. They sang and danced for joy as they played their tambourines and lyres. They did this right in front of Saul! 7The women sang,
“Saul has killed his thousands,
but David has killed tens of thousands.”
8This song upset Saul and he became very angry. Saul thought, “The women give David credit for killing tens of thousands of the enemy, and they give me credit for only thousands. A little more of this and they will give him the kingdom itself!#18:8 A little more … itself This is not in one of the oldest and best copies of the ancient Greek version.” 9So from that time on, Saul watched David very closely.
Saul Is Afraid of David
10The next day, an evil spirit from God took control of Saul and he went wild#18:10 Saul … wild Or “Saul prophesied.” The Hebrew word means that the person lost control of what they said and did. Usually this meant God was using them to give a special message to other people. in his house. David played the harp to calm him as he usually did, 11but Saul had a spear in his hand. He thought, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” Saul threw the spear twice, but David jumped out of the way both times.
12The Lord had left Saul and was now with David, so Saul was afraid of David. 13Saul sent David away and made him a commander over 1000 soldiers. This put David out among the men even more as they went into battle and returned. 14The Lord was with David, so he was successful in everything. 15Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him. 16But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.
Saul Wants His Daughter to Marry David
17One day Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter, Merab. I will let you marry her. Then you will be like a son to me and you will be a real soldier.#18:17 real soldier That is, a member of the warrior class. They were free from certain duties of ordinary citizens. Then you will go and fight the Lord’s battles.” Saul was really thinking, “Now I won’t have to kill David. I will let the Philistines kill him for me.”
18But David said, “I am not an important man from an important family. I can’t marry the king’s daughter.”
19So when the time came for David to marry Saul’s daughter, Saul let her marry Adriel from Meholah.
20People told Saul that his daughter Michal loved David. This made Saul happy. 21He thought, “I will use Michal to trap David. I will let Michal marry David, and then I will let the Philistines kill him.” So Saul said to David a second time, “You can marry my daughter today.”
22Saul commanded his officers to speak to David in private. He told them to say, “Look, the king likes you. His officers like you. You should marry his daughter.”
23Saul’s officers said these things to David, but David answered, “Do you think it is easy to become the king’s son-in-law? I am just a poor, ordinary man.”
24Saul’s officers told Saul what David said. 25Saul told them, “Say this to David, ‘David, the king doesn’t want you to pay money for his daughter.#18:25 money for his daughter In Bible times a man usually had to give money to a woman’s father before he could marry her. He wants to get even with his enemy, so the price for marrying his daughter is 100 Philistine foreskins.’” That was Saul’s secret plan. He thought the Philistines would kill David.
26Saul’s officers told this to David. David was happy that he had a chance to become the king’s son-in-law, so immediately 27he and his men went out to fight the Philistines. They killed 200#18:27 200 The ancient Greek version has “100.” Philistines. David took these Philistine foreskins and gave them to Saul. He did this because he wanted to become the king’s son-in-law.
Saul let David marry his daughter Michal. 28He saw that the Lord was with David and he also saw that his daughter, Michal, loved David. 29So Saul became even more afraid of David and was against him all that time.
30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to fight the Israelites, but David defeated them every time. He became famous as Saul’s best officer.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
1 Samuel 18
18
Jonathan's Covenant with David
1When David#18.1 Heb he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. 3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved.
6As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.#18.6 Or triangles, or three-stringed instruments 7And the women sang to one another as they made merry,
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
8Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9So Saul eyed David from that day on.
Saul Tries to Kill David
10The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. 14David had success in all his undertakings; for the Lord was with him. 15When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.
David Marries Michal
17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles.” For Saul thought, “I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him.” 18David said to Saul, “Who am I and who are my kinsfolk, my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 19But at the time when Saul's daughter Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
20Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him. 21Saul thought, “Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,#18.21 Heb by two “You shall now be my son-in-law.” 22Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘See, the king is delighted with you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king's son-in-law.’ ” 23So Saul's servants reported these words to David in private. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?” 24The servants of Saul told him, “This is what David said.” 25Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king's enemies.’ ” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26When his servants told David these words, David was well pleased to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired, 27David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred#18.27 Gk Compare 2 Sam 3.14: Heb two hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. 28But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him, 29Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward.
30Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle; and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.