1 Samuel 18:17-30

Finally, Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” (Saul thought, “I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that.”) “Who am I?” David asked Saul. “And how important are my relatives or my father’s family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” But when the time came to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was married to Adriel from Meholah. However, Saul’s daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul was told about it, the news pleased him. Saul thought, “I’ll give her to David. She will trap him, and the Philistines will get him.” So he said to David a second time, “You will now be my son-in-law.” Saul ordered his officers, “Talk to David in private. Tell him, ‘The king likes you, and all his officers are fond of you. Become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” When Saul’s officers made it a point to say this, David asked, “Do you think it’s easy to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person.” When the officers told Saul what David had said, Saul replied, “Tell David, ‘The king doesn’t want any payment for the bride except 100 Philistine foreskins so that he can get revenge on his enemies.’ ” In this way Saul planned to have David fall into the hands of the Philistines. When his officers told David this, David concluded that it was acceptable to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time was up, David and his men went out and struck down 200 Philistines. David brought the foreskins, and they counted them out for the king so that David could become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal as his wife. Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David. Then Saul was even more afraid of David, and so Saul became David’s constant enemy. The Philistine generals still went out ⌞to fight Israel⌟. But whenever they went out ⌞to fight⌟, David was more successful than the rest of Saul’s officers. So David gained a good reputation.