1 Samuel 18:25

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Sha'ul said, "Here's what you are to say to David: 'The king doesn't want any dowry; he wants a hundred foreskins of the P'lishtim, so that he can have vengeance on the king's enemies." For Sha'ul was hoping to have David killed by the P'lishtim.

Berean Standard Bible:

Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.

American Standard Version:

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Saul^{H7586} said^{H559}, Thus shall ye say^{H559} to David^{H1732}, The king^{H4428} desireth^{H2656} not any dowry^{H4119}, but an hundred^{H3967} foreskins^{H6190} of the Philistines^{H6430}, to be avenged^{H5358} of the king's^{H4428} enemies^{H341}. But Saul^{H7586} thought^{H2803} to make David^{H1732} fall^{H5307} by the hand^{H3027} of the Philistines^{H6430}.

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Commentary for 1 Samuel 18:25

1 Samuel 18:25 is set within the broader narrative of the young David's rise to prominence in the court of King Saul. The context is the growing tension between Saul and David, fueled by Saul's jealousy over David's military successes and the people's adoration of him. In this particular verse, Saul is leveraging the cultural practice of paying a bride price to arrange a marriage between David and his daughter Michal. Saul's request for "an hundred foreskins of the Philistines" is a strategic move intended to endanger David's life.

The themes present in this verse include:

1. **Political Manipulation**: Saul uses the tradition of a dowry to set an impossible and dangerous task for David, hoping it will lead to his demise at the hands of the Philistines, thus removing the threat to his throne without implicating himself directly.

2. **Cultural Practices**: The request for foreskins as a bride price reflects the ancient cultural norms of the time, where such grisly trophies were seen as proof of valor and a means to elevate the status of the groom.

3. **Saul's Jealousy and Fear**: Saul's actions are driven by his fear of losing power to David, whom he sees as a rival. His jealousy is so intense that he is willing to risk his own daughter's happiness and potentially the stability of his kingdom to maintain his position.

4. **David's Rise and Virtue**: The verse indirectly highlights David's character and the favor he finds with the people and with God, which contrasts with Saul's devolving leadership. David's willingness to undertake this dangerous task further cements his reputation as a brave and capable warrior.

5. **Divine Providence**: The wider narrative suggests that David's successes are not merely a result of his own abilities but are also guided by divine favor, which is a recurring theme in the story of David's life.

In summary, 1 Samuel 18:25 captures a moment of intrigue and conflict in the court of Saul, where political scheming and personal vendettas intersect with cultural traditions and divine purpose. Saul's attempt to use the dowry system to eliminate David ultimately backfires, as David not only succeeds in the task but also marries Michal, further solidifying his position within Israel's royal court.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H7586
   There are 335 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁאוּל
   Transliteration: Shâʼûwl
   Pronunciation: shaw-ool'
   Description: passive participle of שָׁאַל; asked; Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites; Saul, Shaul.
   
2. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
3. Strong's Number: H1732
   There are 911 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּוִד
   Transliteration: Dâvid
   Pronunciation: daw-veed'
   Description: rarely (fully); דָּוִיד; from the same as דּוֹד; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse; David.
   
4. Strong's Number: H4428
   There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
   Transliteration: melek
   Pronunciation: meh'-lek
   Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
   
5. Strong's Number: H2656
   There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חֵפֶץ
   Transliteration: chêphets
   Pronunciation: khay'-fets
   Description: from חָפֵץ; pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind); acceptable, delight(-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant(-ure), purpose, willingly.
   
6. Strong's Number: H4119
   There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֹהַר
   Transliteration: môhar
   Pronunciation: mo'-har
   Description: from מָהַר; a price (for a wife); dowry.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3967
   There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֵאָה
   Transliteration: mêʼâh
   Pronunciation: may-aw'
   Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.
   
8. Strong's Number: H6190
   There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עׇרְלָה
   Transliteration: ʻorlâh
   Pronunciation: or-law'
   Description: feminine of עָרֵל; the prepuce; foreskin, [phrase] uncircumcised.
   
9. Strong's Number: H6430
   There are 244 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פְּלִשְׁתִּי
   Transliteration: Pᵉlishtîy
   Pronunciation: pel-ish-tee'
   Description: patrial from פְּלֶשֶׁת; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth; Philistine.
   
10. Strong's Number: H5358
    There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נָקַם
    Transliteration: nâqam
    Pronunciation: naw-kam'
    Description: a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish; avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take vengeance.
    
11. Strong's Number: H341
    There are 481 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֹיֵב
    Transliteration: ʼôyêb
    Pronunciation: o-yabe'
    Description: or (fully) אוֹיֵב; active participle of אָיַב; hating; an adversary; enemy, foe.
    
12. Strong's Number: H2803
    There are 122 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָשַׁב
    Transliteration: châshab
    Pronunciation: khaw-shab'
    Description: a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute; (make) account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work, workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine, impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made), regard, think.
    
13. Strong's Number: H5307
    There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נָפַל
    Transliteration: nâphal
    Pronunciation: naw-fal'
    Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.
    
14. Strong's Number: H3027
    There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָד
    Transliteration: yâd
    Pronunciation: yawd
    Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.