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1 Samuel 18

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Jonathan's Covenant with David 1–5

1
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ​
2
And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ​
4
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. ​
5
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself 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. ​

Saul's Jealousy Erupts 6–9

6
And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. ​
8
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ​
9
And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. ​

Saul Attempts Murder 10–16

10
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. ​
11
And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. ​
12
And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. ​
13
Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14
And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. ​
15
Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

Saul Sets a Trap with Marriage 17–30

17
And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. ​
18
And David said unto 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 it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. ​
20
And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ​
21
And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain. ​
22
And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.
23
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24
And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25
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. ​
26
And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.
27
Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. ​
28
And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him. ​
29
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually. ​
30
Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 18

Verse 1

the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David — Qashar, to bind or tie, joined with nephesh, the whole living person. Judah says of Jacob and Benjamin that 'his life is bound up in the lad's life' (Gen 44:30), the same verb. Jonathan's love 'as his own soul' is repeated when he swears David to him again (1 Sam 20:17).

Verse 3

made a covenant — Berith, with the verb karath, 'to cut', the usual Hebrew way of saying a covenant is made. Jonathan renews it with an oath 'in the name of the LORD' (20:42) and again 'before the LORD' (23:18), and David honours it later 'for Jonathan's sake' (2 Sam 9:1).

Verse 4

stripped himself of the robe — Me'il, the outer robe, the word for the mantle of Samuel that was torn at 15:27 and for the 'skirt of Saul's robe' that David cut off (24:4). Jonathan gives his robe, then his sword, bow and girdle. His bow is named again in David's lament (2 Sam 1:22).

Verse 5

behaved himself wisely — Sakal, to act with insight and so to prosper. It is said of David four times in this chapter (vv.5, 14, 15, 30), and v.14 names the cause: 'the LORD was with him'. Saul sets him over the men of war, and he is 'accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.'

Verse 7

Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands — The women 'answered' (anah) one another, the verb used of Miriam answering the women after the Red Sea (Ex 15:21). The couplet is quoted by the servants of Achish (21:11) and again by the princes of the Philistines (29:5).

Verse 8

what can he have more but the kingdom? — The question follows Samuel's word to Saul that the LORD 'hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou' (15:28). 'Ascribed' is nathan, 'to give': the women gave David ten thousands and Saul thousands, and Saul repeats the figures in his anger.

Verse 9

eyed David — 'Avan, a verb made from 'ayin, 'eye', meaning to watch with jealousy. It occurs only here in the KJV. 'From that day and forward' marks where Saul's hostility begins, and the javelin of the next verses follows at once.

Verse 10

the evil spirit from God — The spirit that troubled Saul after the Spirit of the LORD departed (16:14), and that David's harp had eased (16:23). 'Prophesied' is the verb used of Saul among the prophets (10:10), here said of him in the house. The javelin in his hand is in his hand again at 19:9–10.

Verse 11

avoided out of his presence twice — Sabab, to turn aside. Saul's aim 'even to the wall' is repeated at 19:10, where David 'slipped away' and the javelin is smitten into the wall. The same weapon is later cast at Jonathan, who then knows 'that it was determined of his father to slay David' (20:33).

Verse 12

was departed from Saul — Sur, the verb of 16:14, 'the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul'; in v.13 Saul 'removed' David with the same verb. Saul's fear (yare) returns in v.29, and the ground given again in v.28 is the same: 'the LORD was with David'.

Verse 14

the LORD was with him — The reason for David's success is the one given by the servant who first described him to Saul: 'the LORD is with him' (16:18). It is the fact Saul sees in vv.12 and 28. 'Ways' (derek) takes in all his conduct, and 'behaved himself wisely' picks up v.5.

Verse 17

fight the LORD'S battles — Merab is offered on a condition that sounds like service, and the verse then gives Saul's purpose: 'let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.' The offer is the reward promised in 17:25 to the killer of Goliath, 'will give him his daughter'. Abigail says of David, 'my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD' (25:28).

Verse 18

Who am I? — The question Moses put to God (Ex 3:11) and David himself asks in prayer after the promise of a house (2 Sam 7:18). Saul had said of his own family that it was 'the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin' (9:21); David names his 'father's family' (mishpachah) as too small for a king's son in law.

Verse 19

given unto Adriel the Meholathite — Nathan, 'to give', is used twice: Merab 'should have been given' to David and 'was given' to Adriel. It follows the offer of v.17, and the promise of 17:25 that the killer of Goliath would have the king's daughter. Adriel is named again in 2 Sam 21:8; Saul's second offer follows through Michal (vv.20–21).

Verse 20

Michal Saul's daughter loved David — The verb is ahab, the one used of Jonathan in v.1 (v.3 has the related ahavah); it is said of Michal again in v.28. 'The thing pleased him' is literally 'was right in his eyes' (yashar). Michal is the one who later lets David down through a window to escape (19:12).

Verse 21

a snare — Moqesh, a noose or trap, the word of Pharaoh's servants about Moses: 'How long shall this man be a snare unto us?' (Ex 10:7). Saul's purpose is the same as in v.17, 'that the hand of the Philistines may be against him'. In 19:11–12 it is Michal who warns David and saves his life.

Verse 25

an hundred foreskins — The mohar is the price paid for a bride (the related verb is 'endow' in Ex 22:16). Saul sets it in foreskins of the Philistines, whom David had called 'uncircumcised' (17:26), and the verse states his aim: 'to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.' David later claims Michal on this price (2 Sam 3:14).

Verse 27

slew of the Philistines two hundred men — Saul asked for a hundred and David brings double, counted 'in full tale' (male, to be full). Michal is given as wife, as Merab had not been (v.19). When David later asks for her back he names the price as 'an hundred foreskins of the Philistines' (2 Sam 3:14).

Verse 28

Saul saw and knew — The conclusion of v.12 is drawn again, now with a second ground: 'the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.' Saul says it plainly years later: 'I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand' (24:20).

Verse 29

the more afraid — The fear (yare) of v.12 grows: 'yet the more' is yasaph, 'to add'. Saul becomes David's enemy (oyev) 'continually'. The chapter's pattern is complete here: the LORD with David (vv.12, 14, 28), Saul's fear increasing, and his enmity now settled.

Verse 30

his name was much set by — Yaqar, to be precious or of value. Saul uses the same verb of himself in 26:21, 'my soul was precious in thine eyes this day'. 'Went forth' (yatsa) is used twice here of the Philistine princes, and in v.5 of David, who 'went out whithersoever Saul sent him'.