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1 Samuel
Chapter Eighteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 18
This
chapter gives an account of the respect shown to David by Saul and Jonathan
by
the servants of Saul
and all the people
and of what was said in his praise in
the songs of the women
1 Samuel 18:1;
which latter gave Saul a great offence
and upon which he envied him
and eyed
him
and indeed sought his life
and removed him from him; and yet still he
continued the darling of the people
behaving wisely among them
which greatly
embarrassed Saul
that be knew not what to do
1 Samuel 18:8; he
proposed his eldest daughter to him in marriage
which he had a claim to by
killing the Philistine
and then he cheated him by giving her to another
1 Samuel 18:17; and
then he offered his youngest daughter to him
on condition that he would bring
him an hundred foreskins of the Philistines
execution of which he thought his
life would be exposed to danger
which yet he performed
1 Samuel 18:20; and
having the affection of his wife
and the good esteem of the servants of Saul
Saul was more afraid of him
and became his enemy
1 Samuel 18:28.
1 Samuel 18:1 Now when he had
finished speaking to Saul
the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David
and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
when
he finisheth to speak unto Saul
that the soul of Jonathan hath been bound to
the soul of David
and Jonathan loveth him as his own soul.
And it came to pass
when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul
.... In answer
to his questions about his descent and family
and doubtless more things were
talked of than are recorded:
that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David: he won his
heart
made a conquest of his affections
these went out towards him
and
cleaved unto him; such were the comeliness of his person
his graceful mien and
deportment
his freedom and fluency of expression
his courage and
undauntedness
joined with prudence
modesty
and integrity
that they strongly
attached him to him:
and Jonathan loved him as his own soul; not only
according to the excellency of David's soul
and the greatness of it
as that
deserved respect and love
as Abarbinel suggests
but he loved him as he loved
himself. There was a similarity in their persons
in their age
in the
dispositions of their minds
in their wisdom
courage
modesty
faithfulness
and openness of soul
that attracted them to each other
that they became as
another self; as one soul
as Aristotle speaksF18Ethic. l. 9. c.
4
9. So Porphyr. de Vita Pythagor. of true friends: instances of very cordial
friendship are given by PlutarchF19Apud Patrick in loc.
as in
Theseus and Pirithous
Achilles and Patroclus
Orestes and Pylades
Pythias and
Damon
Epaminondas and Pelopidas; but none equal to this.
1 Samuel 18:2 2 Saul
took him that day
and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.
YLT
2And Saul taketh him on that
day
and hath not permitted him to turn back to the house of his father.
And Saul took him that day
.... Not only into his
favour
and into his service
but into his court; even on that very day he slew
the Philistine
or however as soon as it could be done:
and would let him go no more home to his father's house; as he used to
do before; when he only served as a musician to him
then he was only at court
when Saul was in a melancholy disposition
and wanted him
and so was going and
returning
and in the intervals kept his father's sheep
1 Samuel 17:15; but
now he would not suffer him to attend such business any longer
since he was
not only to become a courtier
and be made a prince or noble
but to marry his
daughter
according to the declaration he had made
with respect to any man
that should kill Goliath.
1 Samuel 18:3 3 Then
Jonathan and David made a covenant
because he loved him as his own soul.
YLT
3And Jonathan maketh -- also
David -- a covenant
because he loveth him as his own soul
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant
.... A
covenant of friendship; entered into a solemn agreement to keep up and maintain
a cordial respect to each other
and to support each other's interest both in
life and after death
whoever was the survivor; and in consequence of this
David had a friend at court
when Saul fell out with him
and who pleaded his
cause
and discovered his father's plots
and was the means of preserving
David's life:
because he loved him as his own soul; so that this
covenant was not founded in mere words
but in sincere and cordial affection
and was lasting and inviolable.
1 Samuel 18:4 4 And
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.
YLT
4and Jonathan strippeth
himself of the upper robe which [is] upon him
and giveth it to David
and his
long robe
even unto his sword
and unto his bow
and unto his girdle.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him
.... As a
token of his hearty love and true friendship
and that David might appear at
court not in the habit of a shepherd
but in that of a prince:
and gave it to David
and his garments; his other
garments besides his robe
and so clothed him from tip to toe
and which fitted
him; for as there was a similarity in their souls
and the disposition of them
so in the make and hulk of their bodies
and in the stature of them:
even to his sword
and to his bow
and to his girdle; these he gave
him to accoutre himself with
that he might appear as a soldier
as well as
like a prince
and as another Jonathan
or rather the same; that they might
seem as one
as alike in body
so in garb and habit.
1 Samuel 18:5 5 So 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.
YLT
5And David goeth out
whithersoever Saul doth send him; he acted wisely
and Saul setteth him over
the men of war
and it is good in the eyes of all the people
and also in the
eyes of the servants of Saul.
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him
.... About any
business whatsoever
especially about martial affairs
for which he was
abundantly qualified:
and behaved himself wisely; in the
management of them
using great prudence and discretion
and so failed not of
success
and of recommending himself; the Targum renders it
"prospering"; he was prosperous and successful in whatsoever he
engaged
for the Lord was with him
and blessed him:
and Saul set him over the men of war; that is
of
some of them
gave him the command of a troop; for Abner was captain or general
of the army
and continued so:
and he was accepted in the sight of all the people; of all the
people in the land in general
of all that knew or heard of him; being looked
upon as a wise
valiant
and successful commander
and which gained him the
esteem and affection of the people:
and also in the sight of Saul's servants; which was
very much
and a rare thing
for servants are too apt to envy such as are
rising in their credit and reputation; though this must not be understood of
all
without exception; but of the generality of them; nor is the word
"all" used of them
as is of the people; for some of them took the
part of Saul afterwards against David
and were secretly his enemies
see 1 Samuel 18:22.
1 Samuel 18:6 6 Now it had happened as
they were coming home
when David was returning from the slaughter of
the Philistine
that the 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.
YLT
6And it cometh to pass
in
their coming in
in David's returning from smiting the Philistine
that the
women come out from all the cities of Israel to sing -- also the dancers -- to
meet Saul the king
with tabrets
with joy
and with three-stringed
instruments;
And it came to pass
as they came
.... The armies of
Israel
with their commanders at the head of them:
when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine; either from
the slaughter of Goliath
with his head in his hand
going to Jerusalem
and
Saul accompanying him; or rather from the slaughter of the Philistines at some
other time
the singular being put for the plural; since
according to the
order of the history
this seems to be done after David was brought to court
and had been made a captain
and had been sent out on military expeditions
and
had been successful therein
and from one of which he now returned:
that the women came out of all the cities of Israel; through which
they passed:
singing and dancing; as were usual after
great victories obtained
and deliverances wrought
the female sex being
generally greatly affected with such things; since when things go otherwise
they suffer much
and their fears rise high in time of battle; and when victory
goes on their side
it gives them great joy
and which they used to express in
this way:
to meet King Saul; the commander-in-chief
with his other
officers
and David among the rest:
with tabrets
with joy
and with instruments of music; with pipes or
flutes
which they both blew with their mouths
and played on with their hands
and other musical instruments exciting joy; the last word is
by the Targum
rendered
"with
cymbals;'and so the Septuagint version; it signifies a musical instrument of
three cords
according to Kimchi; and others
as Ben Gersom
understand it of
principal songs
in which things wonderful
excellent
and honourable
were spoken
of: see Exodus 15:20. Such
sort of women were among the Romans called Cymballatriae and TympanistriaeF20Vid.
Pignorium de Servis
p. 166
174.
who shook the cymbals
and beat upon
tabrets and drums at times of rejoicing.
1 Samuel 18:7 7 So the women sang as they
danced
and said: “Saul has slain his thousands
And David his ten thousands.”
YLT
7and the women answer --
those playing
and say
`Saul hath smitten among his thousands
And David among
his myriads.'
And the women answered one another as they played
.... They sung
vocally to their instruments
and that by turns
one rehearsing one line or
verse in the song
and then the other another:
and said
Saul hath slain his thousands
and David his ten
thousands; which
if to be referred to the battle in the preceding chapter
as it commonly is
must be understood thus
that though Saul
in pursuit of the
Philistines
slew many thousands of them
and David but one
even Goliath; yet
the slaying of him was the occasion of slaying ten thousands
and therefore it
is ascribed to him: but it seems rather that in some after battles David had
been more prosperous and victorious than Saul
and therefore superior commendations
are given him by the author of the song the women sung; which
however just it
might be to give them
was not wise
since it served to irritate their king
as
follows.
1 Samuel 18:8 8 Then
Saul was very angry
and the saying displeased 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 the kingdom?”
YLT
8And it is displeasing to
Saul exceedingly
and this thing is evil in his eyes
and he saith
`They have
given to David myriads
and to me they have given the thousands
and more to
him [is] only the kingdom;'
And Saul was very wroth
and the saying displeased him
.... Partly
because they called him plain Saul
and not King Saul; did not give him his
royal title
which might serve to strengthen his suspicion
after suggested;
and chiefly because they attributed a greater number of slain to David than to
him
as follows:
and he said
they have ascribed unto David ten thousands
and to
me they ascribed but thousands; and so had given more
honour to an inferior officer than to the commander-in-chief
more to a subject
than to a sovereign:
and what can he have more but the kingdom? there is
nothing left out of their song
and nothing remains to be given him but that;
some think that Saul knew
by the prudent behaviour of David
and the favour he
was in with God and men
and by these commendations of the women
that the
kingdom would be his; and that the words of Samuel were true
and would be
confirmed
that the kingdom would be rent from him
and given to his neighbour
better than he. This clause
with 1 Samuel 18:9
is
left out of the Greek version
according to the Vatican copy.
1 Samuel 18:9 9 So
Saul eyed David from that day forward.
YLT
9and Saul is eyeing David
from that day and thenceforth.
And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. Instead of
looking pleasantly
and with a smile
upon him
as a courtier and favourite
he
was justly entitled to by his gallant behaviour
he looked at him with a sour
ill natured look; he looked at him with an evil
spiteful
malicious
and
envious eye; or he diligently watched and observed all his motions and actions
whether they tended to disloyalty and treason
to dethrone him
and take the
kingdom to himself
which he was suspicious of; he laid wait for him
as the
Targum
and laid snares too
as the following history shows.
1 Samuel 18:10 10 And it happened on the next
day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul
and he prophesied
inside the house. So David played music with his hand
as at other
times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand.
YLT
10And it cometh to pass
on
the morrow
that the spirit of sadness [from] God prospereth over Saul
and he
prophesieth in the midst of the house
and David is playing with his hand
as
day by day
and the javelin [is] in the hand of Saul
And it came to pass on the morrow
.... After the women had
met him with their music and dancing
and when returned home:
that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul; thinking on
the above things that had passed
he became melancholy:
and he prophesied in the midst of the house; either
really
delivering out divine songs
as the prophets did; according to
Abarbinel
he foretold that David would be king
and the kingdom would be taken
from him
and given to him; or he feigned himself a prophet
mimicking their
motions and gestures; or
as the Targum
acted like a mad man
or a fool
uttering foolish words
and using ridiculous gestures
which seems most
agreeable to the evil spirit in him:
and David played with his hand as at other times; upon his
harp
to remove the evil spirit
or melancholy disposition from Saul; for
though he was now advanced at court
and an officer in the army
and high in
the affections and applause of the people: yet he did not think it below him to
act as a musician
to do service to his prince; of such an humble
kind
and
ingenuous disposition was he:
and there was a javelin in Saul's hand; a kind of
spear
or half pike
which he had taken into his hand on purpose to kill David
while playing; for persons in such circumstances as his
as they are very
mischievous
so very subtle at contriving.
1 Samuel 18:11 11 And Saul cast the spear
for he said
“I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence
twice.
YLT
11and Saul casteth the
javelin
and saith
`I smite through David
even through the wall;' and David
turneth round out of his presence twice.
And Saul cast the javelin
.... Out of his hand at
David:
for he said; in his heart
determining in his mind:
I will smite David even to the wall with it; he determined
to cast it with such force and violence
that it should pierce through David
and enter into the very wall
by the side of which David was:
and David avoided out of his presence twice; to escape the
javelin cast at him; either he went out at the first time of its being thrown
and then came in again
when he threw it a second time at him
upon which he
also withdrew; or this was one of the times
and the other some time after
of
which see 1 Samuel 19:9.
Abarbinel thinks
that David
while he was playing
his eyes were so fixed upon
his own hands
that he was not aware of the javelin
and turned himself from
Saul without intention both times
and so escaped without knowledge of it; such
was the good providence of God towards him
and which
when Saul perceived
it
wrought upon him
as follows.
1 Samuel 18:12 12 Now Saul was afraid of
David
because the Lord
was with him
but had departed from Saul.
YLT
12And Saul is afraid of the
presence of David
for Jehovah hath been with him
and from Saul He hath turned
aside;
And Saul was afraid of David
because the Lord was with him
....
Protecting and preserving him
prospering and succeeding him
giving him
victory over his enemies
and favour among the people; the Targum is
"the
Word of the Lord was for his help.'Procopius Gazaeus interprets it of the Holy
Ghost
whose grace was vouchsafed unto him: he might be afraid in his
melancholy fits
that as he had attempted to take away the life of David
that
David would contrive and seek an opportunity
and take away his life
and seize
the kingdom which God had given him
and his being with him strengthened these
fears:
and was departed from Saul; so that he was destitute
of courage
and greatness of mind
and of wisdom and prudence
and became mean
and abject
and exposed himself to the contempt of his subjects.
1 Samuel 18:13 13 Therefore Saul removed him
from his presence
and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out
and came in before the people.
YLT
13and Saul turneth him aside
from him
and appointeth him to himself head of a thousand
and he goeth out an
cometh in
before the people.
Therefore Saul removed him from him
.... From court
partly
that he might be out of his sight
having such an hatred of his person that he could
not bear to see him
and partly that he might be safer from any designs of his
upon his life
which he might fear
because of his treatment of him:
and made him his captain over a thousand; not out of
respect to him
and in honour of him
but partly to cover his malice
and
please the people
and partly in hope that he might be slain by the enemy at
the head of his troop:
and he went out and came in before the people; or at the
head of them
as the Targum; he led them out to war
and returned with them in
safety
with victory and in triumph
with great honour
and highly respected by
them; quite contrary to the intention and hope of Saul.
1 Samuel 18:14 14 And David behaved wisely
in all his ways
and the Lord
was with him.
YLT
14And David is in all his
ways acting wisely
and Jehovah [is] with him
And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways
.... Both in
the court and in the camp
in whatsoever service he was employed; or
"prospered"F21משכיל
"prospere admodum res gerebat"
Vatablus; "secundabatur"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; so the Targum and Jarchi.
as the word also
signifies; for
generally speaking
those that behave wisely succeed well; in
this he was a type of Christ
Isaiah 52:13; the
reason of it follows:
and the Lord was with him; from whom he had his
wisdom and success; the Targum is
"the Word of the Lord was for his help.'
1 Samuel 18:15 15 Therefore
when Saul saw
that he behaved very wisely
he was afraid of him.
YLT
15and Saul seeth that he is
acting very wisely
and is afraid of him
Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely
.... So that
he could get no advantage against him
and he succeeded and was prosperous in
all his enterprises
and was more and more in favour with the people:
he was afraid of him; lest the time was
drawing near that the kingdom should be rent from him
and given to David.
1 Samuel 18:16 16 But all Israel and Judah
loved David
because he went out and came in before them.
YLT
16and all Israel and Judah
love David when he is going out and coming in before them.
And all Israel and Judah loved David
.... The verb
is singular
and denotes that everyone of them loved him in all the tribes of
Israel
as well as in Judah his own tribe; in such general esteem was he
and
so much had he got the hearts and affections of the people:
because he went out and came in before them; the people
as in 1 Samuel 18:13; so
the Septuagint version
in which
according to the Vatican copy
the verses 1 Samuel 18:17 are
wanting.
1 Samuel 18:17 17 Then Saul said to David
“Here is my older 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
“Let my hand not be against him
but let the hand of the Philistines be against
him.”
YLT
17And Saul saith unto David
`Lo
my elder daughter Merab -- her I give to thee for a wife; only
be to me
for a son of valour
and fight the battles of Jehovah;' and Saul said
`Let not
my hand be on him
but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.'
And Saul said to David
.... Not in friendship
and good will to him
but designing to lay a snare for him:
behold
my eldest daughter Merab
her will I give thee to wife; most
interpreters understand it
that he was obliged to this by promise
on account
of David's slaying Goliath
1 Samuel 17:25; but
Abarbinel is of another mind
and he rightly observes
that the words referred
to are not the words of Saul
but of the men of Israel
who might suppose what
the king would do; or if they heard anything like it spoken by Saul
it was
only in a hyperbolical way
signifying he did not care what he gave
and what
he parted with
to the man that killed the Philistine
but was not strictly
bound to this particular thereby; nor did David ever claim such promise
nor
did Saul think himself bound to do it
but proposes it as an instance of his
great kindness and favour
as he pretended
and therefore expected great
returns for it
as follows:
only be thou valiant for me
and fight the Lord's battles: he knew he
was a valiant man
and ready enough to fight; but he expected that in
consideration of such a favour
and such high honour as this
that he would
exert himself in an extraordinary manner
and engage in hazardous attempts
and
show himself worthy to be the son of a king
in the defence of him and of his
country
and for the glory of the God of Israel; all this he suggests
when his
view was
that he should expose his life to such danger
that it might be hoped
it would be taken away:
for Saul said; not openly and verbally
but in his heart;
he thought within himself:
let not mine hand be upon him; he had attempted to lay
hands on him
or to kill him with his own hands
but now he thought better
and
consulted his credit among the people:
but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him; he hoped by
these means that he would fall by their hands at the head of his troop
while
he was displaying his valour
and hazarding his life for the good of his king
and country; what Saul contrived proved his own case
he died in battle with
the Philistines
1 Samuel 31:4.
1 Samuel 18:18 18 So 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?”
YLT
18And David saith unto Saul
`Who [am] I? and what my life -- the family of my father in Israel -- that I am
son-in-law to the king?'
And David said unto Saul
.... Surprised at the
offer Saul made him
yet not refusing it
but expressing himself with great
modesty and humility:
who am I? as to his person
parentage
and
employment
mean and despicable
at least in his own eyes
a type of the lowly
Jesus
Matthew 11:29
and what is my life? keeping sheep
for from
thence was he taken and advanced; though some think his meaning is
that to
hazard his life
as Saul proposed
was not equivalent to such an honour he
meant to confer upon him
and that he was ready to do it at all times:
or my father's family in
Israel; though in an honourable tribe
and was an honourable family
yet
it seems not to be very great
at least was not in David's esteem worthy of
such high advancement
as that one of it should be so nearly related to the king;
Ben Gersom thinks David has reference to the original of his family
Ruth the
Moabitess:
that I should be son in law to the king? as he would
be by marrying his daughter.
1 Samuel 18:19 19 But it happened at the
time when Merab
Saul’s daughter
should have been given to David
that she was
given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.
YLT
19And it cometh to pass
at
the time of the giving of Merab daughter of Saul to David
that she hath been
given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
But it came to pass
at the time when Merab
Saul's daughter
should have been given to David
.... Either when the
giving of her to him was talked of
or when the time fixed for her marriage was
come:
that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife: Saul either
having in reality never designed she should be given to David
only proposed it
to please the people
or to affront David
and expose him to shame and
confusion by the step he meant to take
or however he soon changed his mind;
though Abarbinel's notion is
that the young lady had disposed of herself to
this person without her father's knowledge
which seems not likely; the person
she was given to was the son of Barzillai the Meholathite
2 Samuel 21:8; and
some have observed
as the curse of God on this match
that all her sons were
delivered to the Gibeonites
and hanged up
as related in the same place; for
though these sons are said to be brought up by Michal
they were bore by Merab
to him.
1 Samuel 18:20 20 Now Michal
Saul’s
daughter
loved David. And they told Saul
and the thing pleased him.
YLT
20And Michal daughter of Saul
loveth David
and they declare to Saul
and the thing is right in his eyes
And Michal
Saul's daughter
loved David
.... His
youngest daughter fell in love with him
because of the comeliness of his
person
his gallant behaviour
his wise conduct
and the general esteem and
reputation he was had in
as may be supposed:
and they told Saul
and the thing pleased him; not that his
daughter loved David
or that he should be his son-in-law
but that he should
have an opportunity
as he hoped
of destroying David
which he had lost by
giving his elder daughter to another; as also of retrieving his credit with the
people
which was greatly sunk by using David in the manner he did
who had
become the darling of the people.
1 Samuel 18:21 21 So Saul 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 be my son-in-law today.”
YLT
21and Saul saith
`I give her
to him
and she is to him for a snare
and the hand of the Philistines is on
him;' and Saul saith unto David
`By the second -- thou dost become my
son-in-law to-day.'
And Saul said
I will give him her
that she may be a snare to him
.... The cause
and occasion of his fall and ruin
by means of what he should propose to him as
the condition of marriage; but instead of proving a snare to him
as he hoped
she was the means of his deliverance
when Saul sent messengers to slay him
1 Samuel 19:11
and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him; provoked by
what he should put him upon doing to them. The scheme he had in his head after
appears
and what he now said was not openly said before his servants and
courtiers
whom he did not trust with his secrets
but this he said within
himself
conceived and contrived it in his own mind:
wherefore Saul said to David; who was as yet at court
or whom he sent for on this occasion:
thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the
twain; by marrying one of his two daughters; signifying
that he would
not defer the marriage
or put it off to a longer time
as he had done before
but that he should be married immediately to one or other of his daughters; and
seeing he could not have the eldest
she being disposed of
he should have the
youngest
and so be equally his son-in-law. If we read the words without the
supplement
"shalt be my son-in-law in the two"
or in both
the
sense is
that he should have them both; and so the Jews sayF23T.
Bab. Sanhedrin
fol. 19. 2.
that he married them both
first Merab
and after
her death Michal; or that he should be his son-in-law on two accounts
one by
betrothing Merab
though he was not married to her
and the other by being
married to Michal
so that he would be doubly his son in law; but the sense
according to the supplement
is best.
1 Samuel 18:22 22 And 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.’”
YLT
22And Saul commandeth his
servants
`Speak unto David gently
saying
Lo
the king hath delighted in
thee
and all his servants have loved thee
and now
be son-in-law to the
king.'
And Saul commanded his servants
saying
commune with David
secretly
.... And persuade him to marry Michal
and assure him of Saul's
real regard to him
and good intention towards him; for it seems that David
being ill used in the affair of his eldest daughter
did not listen to the
proposals of Saul as to the youngest
and therefore Saul took this method to
bring him into them:
and say
behold
the king hath a delight in thee; bore a good
will towards him
had an high opinion of him
and it would be a pleasure to him
that he should he his son-in-law:
and all his servants love thee; which might be true in
general
excepting some few; which was no small mortification to Saul
though
he here pleads it
and puts his servants on making use of it to gain his
present purpose:
now therefore be the king's son in law; accept of the
proposal he has made
and marry his youngest daughter.
1 Samuel 18:23 23 So 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?”
YLT
23And the servants of Saul
speak in the ears of David these words
and David saith
`Is it a light thing
in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king -- and I a poor man
and lightly
esteemed?'
And Saul's servants spake these words in the ears of David
.... Those
before related
which Saul commanded them to speak
which they delivered
exactly according to their orders
with an audible voice
clearly
plainly
and
distinctly
so that David might hear and understand them:
and David said
seemeth it to you a light thing to
be a king's son in law; a small a trifling matter
an easy thing to come into
every
thing requisite to it:
seeing that I am a poor man; and not able to give a
dowry suitable to the daughter of a king; it being usual in those times for a
man to give a dowry to
and not receive a portion with a wife; and which also
was the custom of the Germans
as TacitusF24De Moribus German. c.
18. relates; and this was to be according to the rank and quality of the person
married
and which in this case David was not equal to:
and lightly esteemed? not by the people of
Israel and Judah
who loved him
as he was loved even by the servants of Saul
at least in profession; but by Saul himself
who had slighted him in giving his
elder daughter to another man
when he had promised her to him
which was
discouraging to David
and resented by him.
1 Samuel 18:24 24 And the servants of Saul
told him
saying
“In this manner David spoke.”
YLT
24And the servants of Saul
declare to him
saying
`According to these words hath David spoken.'
And the servants of Saul told him
saying
on this manner spake
David. Such and such words were spoken by him
to this purpose; the sum
and substance of them were expressive of his unworthiness to be a king's
son-in-law
and of his inability to bring a dowry suitable to her quality.
1 Samuel 18:25 25 Then Saul said
“Thus you
shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred
foreskins of the Philistines
to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” But
Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
YLT
25And Saul saith
`Thus do ye
say to David
There is no delight to the king in dowry
but in a hundred
foreskins of the Philistines -- to be avenged on the enemies of the king;' and
Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.
And Saul said
thus shall ye say to David
.... In answer
to his objections
and in order to remove them
and especially what concerned
the dowry:
the king desireth not any dowry
but an hundred foreskins of the
Philistines
to be avenged of the king's enemies; that is
he required or
desired no other dowry of David
but that he would slay an hundred Philistines
and bring their foreskins to him; by which he would be able to know that they
were Philistines he slew
not Israelites who were circumcised; though it cannot
well be thought that Saul should have any suspicion of that
or take such a
method to prevent it; but as those were almost
if not altogether
the only
uncircumcised persons that were their neighbours
since the Arabians
Edomites
Midianites
&c. received circumcision from their ancestors
it would be a
clear case to him that these were the men he slew; and whom he the rather
pitched upon
because they were his enemies
and the enemies of Israel
and
abhorred of the Lord; which carried in it a show of zeal for the glory of God
and the good of his people
and because he hoped David would fall by them in
the enterprise
or however render himself very odious to them
and they would
bear him ill will
and seek his ruin. StraboF25Geograph. l. 15. p.
500. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. l. 1. c. 24. reports of the people in
Carmania
that no man among them marries a wife before he cuts off the head of
an enemy
and brings it to the king; and the king lays up the skulls in a
treasury
and he is the most famous that has the most heads brought unto him.
Saul chose not heads
but foreskins
for the reasons before given:
but Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines; he hoped in
the enterprise the Philistines would be too powerful for him
and kill him.
1 Samuel 18:26 26 So when his servants told
David these words
it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now
the days had not expired;
YLT
26And his servants declare to
David these words
and the thing is right in the eyes of David
to be
son-in-law to the king; and the days have not been full
And when his servants told David these words
.... That the
king desired no other dowry than an hundred foreskins of the Philistines:
it pleased David well to be the king's son in law; on such
conditions; partly because of the honour of it
and partly because of his love
to Michal; and chiefly because it would give him an opportunity of destroying
the enemies of God
and of his people
as well as such a match would lead the
way
and be a step in Providence to ascend the throne designed for him in due
time:
and the days were not expired; neither for the bringing
in of the foreskins
nor for the consummation of the marriage.
1 Samuel 18:27 27 therefore David arose and
went
he and his men
and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David
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.
YLT
27and David riseth and goeth
he and his men
and smiteth among the Philistines two hundred men
and David
bringeth in their foreskins
and they set them before the king
to be son-in-law
to the king; and Saul giveth to him Michal his daughter for a wife.
Wherefore David arose and went
he and his men
and slew of the
Philistines two hundred men
.... This he did himself
for the verb is
singular
and which were an hundred more than required; this he did to show his
regard to the orders of Saul
and his obedience to him
and to testify the
sincerity of his afflictions to his daughter
for whose sake he risked his life
in this expedition
as well as to express his zeal for God
and his country
against their avowed enemies; the Greek version has only one hundred men
see 2 Samuel 3:14
and David brought their foreskins; along with him to Saul's
court
having taken them off when slain. Josephus saysF26Antiqu. l.
6. c. 10. sect. 3. he cut off their heads
and brought them to him
and he
makes the number to be six hundred; neither are according to the text
but to
make his history more agreeable to the Gentiles
see 1 Samuel 18:21; an
Arabic writerF1Alcamus apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 1. c. 19.
col. 130. makes mention of a people
that cut off the genital parts of men
and
gave them to their wives for their dowry:
and they gave them in full tale to the king; the
messengers David sent in with them
even the full tale of two hundred
which
were as many more as were demanded:
that he might be the king's son in law; being now as
desirous of it as the king was:
and Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife; which he
could not in honour refuse to do
seeing he had performed the condition he had
required. David's marriage of the younger sister
when upon various
considerations it might have been expected that he should have married the
elder
may be an emblem of Christ's espousing the Gentile church
when the
Jewish church
her elder sister
is neglected by him
she having rejected him.
1 Samuel 18:28 28 Thus Saul saw and knew
that the Lord
was with David
and that Michal
Saul’s daughter
loved him;
YLT
28And Saul seeth and knoweth
that Jehovah [is] with David
and Michal daughter of Saul hath loved him
And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David
.... This he
perceived by the favour he gave him among men
by overruling all the steps Saul
took to do him hurt
for his good
and in giving him success in all that he
engaged in; the Targum is
"that the Word of the Lord was for the help of
David:"
and that Michal
Saul's daughter
loved him; and therefore
could entertain no hope of making use of her as an instrument of his ruin
but
on the contrary
would
out of her great affection to her husband
betray the
designs of her father against him
and do all she could to preserve him.
1 Samuel 18:29 29 and Saul was still more
afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy continually.
YLT
29and Saul addeth to be
afraid of the presence of David yet; and Saul is an enemy with David all the
days.
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David
.... Because
the Lord was with him
and his wife loved him; so that he feared he should
never be able to accomplish his designs
and that this marriage
which he
intended as the means of his ruin
would pave the way for his ascending the
throne:
and Saul became David's enemy continually; was every day
giving fresh evidence of his enmity against him; before it was by fits
and at
certain times
there were some intervals; but now enmity was rooted and habituated
and was constant and continually showing itself.
1 Samuel 18:30 30 Then the princes of the
Philistines went out to war. And so it was
whenever they went out
that
David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul
so that his name
became highly esteemed.
YLT
30And the princes of the
Philistines come out
and it cometh to pass from the time of their coming out
David hath acted more wisely than any of the servants of Saul
and his name is
very precious.
Then the princes of the Philistines went forth
.... Out of
their cities in troops
to revenge and spoil the land of Israel
being enraged
at their defeat when Goliath their champion was slain
and at the injury and
dishonour done them by David very lately in slaying two hundred of them
and taking
off their foreskins; and
as the Jews sayF2Midrash Schemuel apud
Abarbinel. in loc.
having heard of the marriage of David
and understanding
the Israelites had a law
that a newly married man might not go to the war the
first year
took this opportunity of invading and spoiling them; whereas David
understood that law better than they
and knew it referred not to a voluntary
war
but to that which was the command of God against the seven nations; and
even in that case
as some think
it did not oblige such persons to remain at
home
but left it to their choice to do as they pleased:
and it came to pass after they went forth; and were met
and opposed by the Israelites
by the troops of Saul
under different
commanders:
that David behaved
himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; showed
himself to be more expert in the art of war
and formed designs with great
wisdom and prudence
and which he as wisely executed
as well as with great
courage and valour
to the annoyance and defeat of the enemy
and to the
advantage
defence
and safety of the people of Israel; or he was more
"prosperous" than they
as the Targum
and so others interpret it; he
was more successful in his attacks on the Philistines
and in his skirmishes
with them:
so that his name was much set by; he was in high esteem
with the people; his name was "precious"F3וייקר "et in pretio esset vel erat"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. to them
as the word signifies; they made
mention of it
as
Ben Gersom interprets it
with great honour and glory; so
that Saul failed much
and was greatly disappointed in the scheme he had formed
against him
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》