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
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.