1 Samuel 18
18
Jonathan and David—Soul Friends
1By the time David had finished reporting to Saul, Jonathan was deeply impressed with David—an immediate bond was forged between them. He became totally committed to David. From that point on he would be David’s number-one advocate and friend.
2Saul received David into his own household that day, no more to return to the home of his father.
3-4Jonathan, out of his deep love for David, made a covenant with him. He formalized it with solemn gifts: his own royal robe and weapons—armor, sword, bow, and belt.
5Whatever Saul gave David to do, he did it—and did it well. So well that Saul put him in charge of his military operations. Everybody, both the people in general and Saul’s servants, approved of and admired David’s leadership.
David—The Name on Everyone’s Lips
6-9As they returned home, after David had killed the Philistine, the women poured out of all the villages of Israel singing and dancing, welcoming King Saul with tambourines, festive songs, and lutes. In playful frolic the women sang,
Saul kills by the thousand,
David by the ten thousand!
This made Saul angry—very angry. He took it as a personal insult. He said, “They credit David with ‘ten thousands’ and me with only ‘thousands.’ Before you know it they’ll be giving him the kingdom!” From that moment on, Saul kept his eye on David.
10-11The next day an ugly mood was sent by God to afflict Saul, who became quite beside himself, raving. David played his harp, as he usually did at such times. Saul had a spear in his hand. Suddenly Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall.” David ducked, and the spear missed. This happened twice.
12-16Now Saul feared David. It was clear that God was with David and had left Saul. So, Saul got David out of his sight by making him an officer in the army. David was in combat frequently. Everything David did turned out well. Yes, God was with him. As Saul saw David becoming more successful, he himself grew more fearful. He could see the handwriting on the wall. But everyone else in Israel and Judah loved David. They loved watching him in action.
17One day Saul said to David, “Here is Merab, my eldest daughter. I want to give her to you as your wife. Be brave and bold for my sake. Fight God’s battles!” But all the time Saul was thinking, “The Philistines will kill him for me. I won’t have to lift a hand against him.”
18David, embarrassed, answered, “Do you really mean that? I’m from a family of nobodies! I can’t be son-in-law to the king.”
19The wedding day was set, but as the time neared for Merab and David to be married, Saul reneged and married his daughter off to Adriel the Meholathite.
20-21Meanwhile, Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David. When Saul was told of this, he rubbed his hands in anticipation. “Ah, a second chance. I’ll use Michal as bait to get David out where the Philistines will make short work of him.” So again he said to David, “You’re going to be my son-in-law.”
22Saul ordered his servants, “Get David off by himself and tell him, ‘The king is very taken with you, and everyone at court loves you. Go ahead, become the king’s son-in-law!’”
23The king’s servants told all this to David, but David held back. “What are you thinking of? I can’t do that. I’m a nobody; I have nothing to offer.”
24-25When the servants reported David’s response to Saul, he told them to tell David this: “The king isn’t expecting any money from you; only this: Go kill a hundred Philistines and bring evidence of your vengeance on the king’s behalf. Avenge the king on his enemies.” (Saul expected David to be killed in action.)
26-27On receiving this message, David was pleased. There was something he could do for the king that would qualify him to be his son-in-law! He lost no time but went right out, he and his men, killed the hundred Philistines, brought their evidence back in a sack, and counted it out before the king—mission completed! Saul gave Michal his daughter to David in marriage.
28-29As Saul more and more realized that God was with David, and how much his own daughter, Michal, loved him, his fear of David increased and settled into hate. Saul hated David.
30Whenever the Philistine warlords came out to battle, David was there to meet them—and beat them, upstaging Saul’s men. David’s name was on everyone’s lips.
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1 Samuel 18: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
I Samuel 18
18
Saul Resents David
1Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, #1 Sam. 17:12the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, #Gen. 44:30and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2Saul took him that day, #Deut. 13:6; 1 Sam. 20:17; 2 Sam. 1:26and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3Then Jonathan and David made a #1 Sam. 17:15covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
5So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that #1 Sam. 20:8–17the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. 7So the women #Ex. 15:20, 21; Judg. 11:34; Ps. 68:25; 149:3sang as they danced, and said:
#Ex. 15:21“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”
8Then Saul was very angry, and the saying #1 Sam. 21:11; 29:5displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but #Eccl. 4:4the kingdom?” 9So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
10And it happened on the next day that #1 Sam. 15:28the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, #1 Sam. 16:14and he prophesied inside the house. So David #1 Sam. 19:24; 1 Kin. 18:29; Acts 16:16played music with his hand, as at other times; #1 Sam. 16:23but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. 11And Saul #1 Sam. 19:9, 10cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.
12Now Saul was #1 Sam. 19:10; 20:33afraid of David, because #1 Sam. 18:15, 29the Lord was with him, but had #1 Sam. 16:13, 18departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and #1 Sam. 16:14; 28:15he went out and came in before the people. 14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and #Num. 27:17; 1 Sam. 18:16; 29:6; 2 Sam. 5:2the Lord was with him. 15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16But #Gen. 39:2, 3, 23; Josh. 6:27; 1 Sam. 16:18all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
David Marries Michal
17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; #Num. 27:16, 17; 1 Sam. 18:5; 2 Sam. 5:2; 1 Kin. 3:7I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight #1 Sam. 14:49; 17:25the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, #Num. 32:20, 27, 29; 1 Sam. 25:28“Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18So David said to Saul, #1 Sam. 18:21, 25; 2 Sam. 12:9“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?” 19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to #1 Sam. 9:21; 18:23; 2 Sam. 7:18Adriel the #2 Sam. 21:8Meholathite as a wife.
20#Judg. 7:22; 2 Sam. 21:8; 1 Kin. 19:16Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that #1 Sam. 18:28the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, #1 Sam. 18:17“You shall be my son-in-law today.”
22And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
23So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?” 24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner David spoke.”
25Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any #1 Sam. 18:26dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take #Gen. 34:12; Ex. 22:17vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul #1 Sam. 14:24thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now #1 Sam. 18:17the days had not expired; 27therefore David arose and went, he and #1 Sam. 18:21his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And #1 Sam. 18:13David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
28Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; 29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy continually. 30Then the princes of the Philistines #2 Sam. 3:14went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David #2 Sam. 11:1behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.