1 Samuel 18
18
David and Jonathan. 1By the time David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan’s life became bound up with David’s life; he loved him as his very self.#1 Sm 19:1–7; 20:17; 23:16; 2 Sm 1:26; 9:1. 2Saul retained David on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house.#1 Sm 16:21; 17:15. 3Jonathan and David made a covenant, because Jonathan loved him as his very self. 4Jonathan took off#Jonathan took off: with the details in this verse, the narrator identifies David as Jonathan’s replacement and Saul’s heir to the throne. Cf. 23:17 and Gn 41:39–43. the cloak he was wearing and handed it over to David, along with his military dress, even his sword, bow, and belt.#2 Sm 1:22. 5David then carried out successfully every mission on which Saul sent him. So Saul put him in charge of his soldiers; this met with the approval of the whole army, even Saul’s officers.
Saul’s Jealousy. 6At the approach of Saul and David, on David’s return after striking down the Philistine, women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet Saul the king, singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and stringed instruments.#Stringed instruments: perhaps a lute-like instrument with three strings; the Hebrew word, shalshim, perhaps related to the root shlsh (“three”), occurs only here in the Old Testament. #Ex 15:20–21; Jgs 11:34; Jdt 15:12. 7The women played and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
David his tens of thousands.”#1 Sm 21:12; 29:5; Ps 91:7; Sir 47:6–7.
8Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought: “They give David tens of thousands, but only thousands to me. All that remains for him is the kingship.” 9From that day on, Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10#1 Sm 16:14; 19:9–10; 20:33; 22:6; 26:8. The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raged in his house. David was in attendance, playing the harp as at other times, while Saul was holding his spear. 11Saul poised the spear, thinking, “I will nail David to the wall!” But twice David escaped him. 12Saul then began to fear David because the Lord was with him but had turned away from Saul. 13Saul sent him out of his presence and appointed him a field officer. So David led the people on their military expeditions 14and prospered in all his ways, for the Lord was with him. 15Seeing how he prospered, Saul feared David. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, since he led them on their expeditions.#Led them on their expeditions: lit., “go out and come in,” i.e., through the city gates; an idiom for military victory. #2 Sm 5:2.
Saul Plots Against David. 17Saul said to David, “Look, I will give you my older daughter, Merob, in marriage if you become my warrior and fight the battles of the Lord.” Saul thought, “I will not lay a hand on him. Let the hand of the Philistines strike him.”#1 Sm 14:49; 17:25. 18But David answered Saul: “Who am I? And who are my kindred or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19But when the time came for Saul’s daughter Merob to be given to David, she was given as wife to Adriel the Meholathite instead.#1 Sm 21:8; 24:16.
20Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. When this was reported to Saul, he was pleased.#1 Sm 14:49; 25:44; 26:23; 2 Sm 3:13. 21He thought, “I will offer her to him as a trap, so that the hand of the Philistines may strike him.” So for the second time Saul said to David, “You shall become my son-in-law today.” 22Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and say: The king favors you, and all his officers love you. You should become son-in-law to the king.” 23But when Saul’s servants mentioned this to David, he said: “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law a trivial matter in your eyes? I am poor and insignificant.” 24When his servants reported David’s answer to him, 25Saul commanded them, “Say this to David: The king desires no other price for the bride than the foreskins of one hundred Philistines, that he may thus take vengeance on his enemies.” Saul intended to have David fall into the hands of the Philistines.#1 Sm 17:26; Gn 34:12. 26When the servants reported this offer to David, he was pleased with the prospect of becoming the king’s son-in-law. Before the year was up, 27David arose and went with his men and slew two hundred Philistines. He brought back their foreskins and counted them out before the king that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal as wife. 28Then Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his own daughter Michal loved David. 29So Saul feared David all the more and was his enemy ever after.
30The Philistine chiefs continued to make forays, but each time they took the field, David was more successful against them than any of Saul’s other officers, and his name was held in great esteem.
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1 Samuel 18: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Shmuel Alef 18
18
1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Sha'ul, that the nefesh Yonatan was kashur (tied together) with the nefesh Dovid, and Yonatan loved him as his own nefesh.
2And Sha'ul drafted him that day, and would let him return no more to the bais aviv.
3Then Yonatan and Dovid made a brit (covenant), because he loved him as his own nefesh.
4And Yonatan stripped himself of the me'il (robe) that was upon him, and gave it to Dovid, and his middah (war garments), even to his cherev, and to his keshet, and to his khagor (belt).
5And Dovid went out whithersoever Sha'ul sent him, and prospered; and Sha'ul set him over the anshei hamilchamah, and he was accepted in the sight of kol HaAm, and also in the sight of the avdei Sha'ul.
6And it came to pass as they came, when Dovid was returned from the slaughter of the Pelishti, that the nashim came out of all towns of Yisroel, singing and dancing, to meet Sha'ul HaMelech, with tambourines, with simchah, and with cymbals.
7And the nashim answered one another as they played, and said, Sha'ul hath slain his alafim, and Dovid his revavot (myriads).
8And Sha'ul was very angry, and the saying was displeasing in his eyes and he said, They have ascribed unto Dovid revavot, and to me they have ascribed but alafim; and what can he have more but the maluchah (kingship)?
9And there was jealous suspicion in the way Sha'ul eyed Dovid from that day forward.
10And it came to pass on the next day, that the ruach Elohim ra'ah came upon Sha'ul, and he prophesied inside the bais; and Dovid made#18:10 kinnor music with his yad, as at other times; and there was a khanit in the yad Sha'ul.
11And Sha'ul hurled the khanit; for he said, I will pin Dovid even to the wall with it. And Dovid escaped his presence twice.
12And Sha'ul was afraid of Dovid, because Hashem was with him, and was departed from Sha'ul.
13Therefore Sha'ul removed him from him, and made him his sar elef; and he went out and came in before HaAm.
14And Dovid was maskil (successful) in kol drakhim of him; and Hashem was with him.
15Wherefore when Sha'ul saw that he was maskil me'od, he was afraid of him.
16But kol Yisroel and Yehudah loved Dovid, because he went out and came in before them.
17And Sha'ul said to Dovid, Hinei bitti hagedolah Merav, her will I give thee as isha; only be thou ben chayil (valiant) for me, and fight Hashemʼs milchamot. For Sha'ul said, Let not mine yad be upon him, but let the yad Pelishtim be upon him.
18And Dovid said unto Sha'ul, Who am I? And what is my life, or the mishpakhat avi in Yisroel, that I should be Choson to HaMelech?
19But it came to pass at the time when Merav Bat Sha'ul should have been given to Dovid, that she was given as isha unto Adriel the Mecholati.
20And Michal Bat Sha'ul loved Dovid; and they told Sha'ul, and the thing was yashar in#18:20 Sha'ulʼs eyes.
21And Sha'ul said, I will give him her, that she may be a mokesh to him, and that the yad Pelishtim may be against him. Wherefore Sha'ul said to Dovid, Thou shalt this day become Choson to me by one of my two.
22And Sha'ul commanded his avadim, saying, Commune with Dovid privately, and say, Hinei, HaMelech hath chafetz (delight) in thee, and all his avadim love thee; now therefore be Choson to HaMelech.
23And the avadim of Sha'ul spoke those devarim in the ears of Dovid. And Dovid said, Seemeth it a light thing in your eyes to become Choson to HaMelech, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24And the avadim of Sha'ul told him, saying, According to these words spoke Dovid.
25And Sha'ul said, Thus shall ye say to Dovid, HaMelech has chafetz (desire) for not any mohar (dowry, bride price) but a hundred arelot (foreskins) of the Pelishtim, to be avenged of the oyevei HaMelech. But Sha'ul schemed to make Dovid fall by the yad Pelishtim.
26And when his avadim told Dovid these devarim, it pleased Dovid well to be Choson of HaMelech; and the yamim#18:26 leading up to the due-date of the arelot were not expired.
27Wherefore Dovid arose and went, he and his anashim, and slaughtered of the Pelishtim (Philistines) two hundred ish; and Dovid brought their arelot, and they gave them in full count to HaMelech, that he might be the Choson of HaMelech. And Sha'ul gave him Michal bitto as isha.
28And Sha'ul saw and knew that Hashem was with Dovid, and that Michal Bat Sha'ul loved him.
29And Sha'ul was yet the more afraid of Dovid; and Sha'ul became oyev to Dovid kol hayamim.
30Then the sarim of the Pelishtim went forth [to fight]; and it came to pass, after they went forth, that Dovid prospered#18:30 in military success more than all the avadim (officers) of Sha'ul; so that shmo became esteemed as of good reputation. And Sha'ul spoke to Yonatan#18:30 Yehonaton bno, and to all his avadim, that they should kill Dovid.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.