1 Samuel 18
18
David’s Success
1When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself. # 1Sm 20:17; 2Sm 1:26 2Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.
3Jonathan made a covenant with David # 1Sm 20:8,16; 23:18 because he loved him as much as himself. 4Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, # Gn 41:42 along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
5David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.
6As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, # Ex 15:20-21; Jdg 11:34 singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. 7As they celebrated, the women sang:
Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands. # 1Sm 21:11; 29:5
8Saul was furious and resented this song. # Lit furious; this saying was evil in his eyes “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom? ” # 1Sm 15:28; 24:20 9So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.
Saul Attempts to Kill David
10The next day an evil spirit sent from God took control of Saul, # 1Sm 16:14; 19:9 and he began to rave # Or prophesy inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, # 1Sm 16:23 but Saul was holding a spear, # 1Sm 19:9 11and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” # 1Sm 19:10; 20:33 But David got away from him twice.
12Saul was afraid of David, # 1Sm 18:15,29 because the Lord was with David # 1Sm 16:13,18 but had left Saul. # 1Sm 16:14; 17:36,47; 2Sm 5:2 13Therefore, Saul reassigned David and made him commander over 1,000 men. David led the troops # 2Sm 5:2 14and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him. # 1Sm 3:19; 16:18 15When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David # 1Sm 18:5 because he was leading their troops. 17Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife, # 1Sm 17:25 if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” # Nm 21:14; 1Sm 17:36-37; 25:28 But Saul was thinking, “My hand doesn’t need to be against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” # 1Sm 18:21; 18:25
18Then David responded, “Who am I, # 1Sm 9:21; 18:23; 2Sm 7:18 and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law? ” 19When it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. # Jdg 7:22; 2Sm 21:8; 1Kg 19:16
David’s Marriage to Michal
20Now Saul’s daughter Michal # 1Sm 18:28 loved David, and when it was reported to Saul, it pleased him. # Lit Saul, the thing was right in his eyes 21“I’ll give her to him,” Saul thought. “She’ll be a trap for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.” # 1Sm 18:17 So Saul said to David a second time, “You can now be my son-in-law.” # 1Sm 18:20
22Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Therefore, you should become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
23Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, # Lit words in David’s ears but he replied, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor man who is common.” # Gn 29:20; 34:12
24The servants reported back to Saul, “These are the words David spoke.”
25Then Saul replied, “Say this to David: ‘The king desires no other bride-price # Gn 34:12; Ex 22:17 except 100 Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” # 1Sm 14:24 Actually, Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines. # 1Sm 18:17
26When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased # Lit David, it was right in David’s eyes to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, # Lit And the days were not full 27David and his men went out and killed 200 # LXX reads 100 Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as full payment to the king to become his son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David as his wife. # 2Sm 3:14 28Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, 29and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David’s enemy from then on.
30Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, # 2Sm 11:1 David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers. # 1Sm 18:5 So his name became well known.
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1 Samuel 18: HCSB
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1 Samuel 18
18
1 When 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.
5 David 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.
6 As 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.”
8 Saul 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 the LORD 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.
14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD 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 the LORD’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”
18 David 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?”
19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Michal, 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.”
22 Saul 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.’”
23 Saul’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?”
24 The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
25 Saul 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 the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him. 29Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 Then 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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