The First Book of Samuel, otherwise called the First Book of the Kings
1 Samuel 18
Chapter XVIII · Vol. II, pp. 657–659
1 Jonathan loveth David. 5 Saul envieth his praise, 10 seeketh to kill him in his fury, 12 feareth him for his good success, 17 offereth him his daughter for a snare. 22 David, persuaded to be the king's son-in-law, giveth two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal's dowry. 28 Saul's hatred, and David's glory increaseth.
1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,1 that athe soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1 The subject and length of the conversation does not appear; but the effect of it in winning the kindred spirit of Jonathan is not surprising. With similar piety towards God, with similar chivalry in war, with great disinterestedness of disposition, they mutually attracted each other; and, to the honour of both, no circumstance ever afterwards shook the union of their hearts.—C.
2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go bno more home to his father's house.
A.M. 2944. B.C. 1060.
b ch.17.15; ver.5.
4 And Jonathan dstripped 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.2
5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and ebehaved himself3 wisely: and Saul set him over the fmen of war;4 and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
e Da.6.5,6. Mat.10.16. Ep.5.15. Col.4.5. Is.52.13.
3 Or, prospered.
f His guard, ch.13.2.
4 Whether as commander-in-chief over all the army, or only as chief of a select body, does not appear: most probably only over a select body, as the subsequent attachment of Abner to the family of Saul renders it very unlikely that he had been superseded.—C.
6 And it came to pass, as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine,5 that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, gsinging and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.6
7 And the women hanswered one another as they played, and said, iSaul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.7
h Ex.15.21. Re.7.9,10,12.
i ch.21.11; 29.5.
7 This is characteristic of the East. When an Arab tribe, or the inhabitants of a town or village, gain a victory, the women go out to meet the conquerors on their return, and celebrate the conquest, and often the achievements of the leaders, in extemporaneous stanzas, accompanying their recitations by shrill cries, clapping of hands, and beating tambourines.—P.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeasedk 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 lbut the kingdom?
10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil nspirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied9 in the midst of the house; and David oplayed with his hand, as at other times: and there was a pjavelin in Saul's hand.
n ch.16.14. 1 Ki.22.22,23. Ac.16.16.
9 To 'prophesy,' does not necessarily signify to foretel, but sometimes to expound the word of God, or sing to his praises—this last seems the sense in which Saul prophesied.—C.
o ch.16.16,23.
p Spear, ch.22.6; 26.7.
11 And Saul qcast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
q ch.19.9,10; 20.33. Pr.6.34.
13 Therefore Saul sremoved him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand;1 and he twent out and came in before the people.
s ver.17,25. Pr.12.10.
1 Such descents of office as David here appears to have experienced are, at this day, common in the East, and just because so common, they imply no disgrace.—C.
t Nu.27.16,17. ver.16. 2 Sa.5.2. Ps.121.8.
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.
17 And xSaul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant3 for me, and fight the yLORD's battles: for Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, zbut let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.4
A.M. 2944. B.C. 1060.
x Ps.140.5; 12.2; 55.21. Lu.20.19,20. ch.14.49.
3 Heb. a son of valour.
y ch.17.47; 25.28. Ps.12.2.
z 2 Sa.11.15; 12.9.
4 Saul, unsuccessful in playing the part of the tyrant, tries that of the hypocrite, and talks to the man he would have murdered of 'fighting the Lord's battles;' and then, to quiet his conscience, he resolves not to kill David with his own hand, but commits murder in purpose by seeking to expose him to the Philistines.—C.
18 And David said unto Saul, aWho am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the 5king?
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 bAdriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And cMichal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing 6pleased him.7
c ch.14.49; 19.12-17; 25.44; ver.27. 2 Sa.3.14,15; 6.20-23.
6 Heb. was right in his eyes.
7 Why, then, if this pleased him, did he neglect or refuse to give Merab? No one can account for the capricious changes of a half deranged tyrant! 'Everything by turns, and nothing long,' is his character.—C.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a dsnare 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.8
22 And Saul ecommanded 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, fSeemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
f 2 Sa.7.18,19. Nu.16.9. Lu.14.11. ver.18,25.
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner9 spake David.
9 Heb. According to these words.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any gdowry,1 but an hundred foreskins2 of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.3
g Ge.29.18; 34.12. Ex.22.16,17. De.22.29. ver.23.
1 In countries where a wife is really but the first domestic slave, it is not surprising a dowry should be paid for her as for any other slave, and not given with her to support her as an equal.—C.
2 'As a proof not only that thou hast slain a hundred men, but that they are of the uncircumcised.' Bruce says that a similar custom obtains among the Abyssinians.—I.
3 In the poems and romances of the East (as well as those of the West which relate to the times of chivalry), instances often occur of a father trying to get rid of an obnoxious suitor to his daughter by proposing some arduous enterprise, which he would either decline, or in which, if he accept the condition, he would probably perish.—I.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased4 David well to be the king's son-in-law: and the days were not5 expired.6
4 Heb. was right in the eyes of.
5 Heb. fulfilled, i.e. the time for bringing in the foreskins.
6 Within which he must fulfil the terms or lose his promised wife.—C.
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, hand slew of the Philistines two hundred men;7 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 iMichal 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 kthe more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
A.M. 2944. B.C. 1060.
k ver.12,15. Job 5.2, 12,13. Ec.4.4. Pr.6.34.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself lmore wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much mset by.8
l Ps. 112. 5. Mat. 10. 16. Ep.5.15.
m Heb. precious, ch.2.30.
8 The meaning is: The Philistine chiefs made war upon Israel ('went forth') and then David was successful in all his encounters with them. He proved himself a more valiant man and a more successful general than all the chosen warriors of Saul.—P.
Notes
[Ver. 11. Saul cast the javelin. The javelin is a short spear, generally from three to four feet long. In preparing to throw it, the hand is opened, and the javelin, without being grasped, is balanced in the open between the thumb and forefinger. An apparently slight vibration backward and forward is given to the hand, and the javelin is projected to a great distance, and with a force that appears quite astonishing when compared with the slightness of the effort. Saul, as is common in unsettled countries, appears to have been constantly armed. C.]
Reflections.—Never let me envy the honour of others. If the Lord delight to honour even my inferiors, it becomes me heartily to join with him. Let me love the virtuous, though it should be at the expense of losing all that I have in the world for their sake: and let me count a faithful friend among the greatest of human blessings. If friendship be true, it will be constant, and will not startle at giving the strongest assurances. But how difficult to act so, in a high station, as to procure honour without provoking envy! Even the due praises of merit are grating to the ears of the envious; and often their malignant eye betrays the rancour of their heart, while indulgence of their evil thoughts invites the devil to take possession of their souls. Jealousy is cruel as the grave, and thirsts for the precious life. But God guards his people from many a mortal blow secretly aimed at them. How base is it to devise hurt against those who dwell securely by us—to lay snares for our neighbour, under pretence of regard to him—and to cover hatred with lying lips! But if we are hated on earth, and snares laid for our life, let us behave with the more prudence, humility, and true bravery. Let us count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations, and through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God! God can overrule the most wicked designs of our enemies for our good, and to their confusion. And modest worth will shine with double lustre at last. God will confound the wise in their own craftiness; and, in spite of every danger, exalt the man whom he delights to honour.