(KJV) 1 Samuel 181

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⥃Jonathan Befriends David

[1] And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan2 was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him3 as his own soul.4 [2] And Saul took him5 that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. [3] Then Jonathan and David made a covenant6, because he loved him as his own soul. [4] And Jonathan stripped himself7 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.

⥃Saul Envies David

[5] [¶]And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, [and] behaved8 himself wisely9: and Saul set him over the men of war10, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. [6] And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine11, that the women12 came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music13k. [7] And the women answered14 [one another] as they played, and said, Saul15 hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. [8] And Saul was very wroth, and the saying16 displeased him17; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed [but] thousands: and [what18] can he have more but the kingdom? [9] And Saul eyed David19 from that day and forward.

[10] [¶]And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit20 from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied21 in the midst of the house: and David played22 with his hand, as at other times: and [there was23] a javelin in Saul’s hand. [11] And Saul cast the javelin24; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall [with it]. And David25 avoided out of his presence twice.

[12] And Saul was afraid26 of David, because the Lord27 was with him, and was departed28 from Saul. [13] Therefore Saul removed29 him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out30 and came in before the people. [14] And David behaved31 himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord32 [was] with him. [15] Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely33, he was afraid of him. [16] But all Israel34 and Judah loved David, because he went35 out and came in before them.

⥃David Marries Michal

[17] [¶]And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give36 thee to wife: only be thou valiant37 for me, and fight the Lord’s38 battles. For Saul said, Let not mine39 hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. [18] And David said unto Saul, Who [am] I40? 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 Adriel41 the Meholathite42 to wife. [20] And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David43: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him44. [21] And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare45 to him, and that the hand46 of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day47 be my son in law in [the one of] the twain.

[22] [¶]And Saul commanded48 his servants49, [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] light50 [thing] to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I [am] a poor man51, and lightly52 esteemed? [24] And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner53 spake David. [25] And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry54, but an hundred55 foreskins56 of the Philistines, to be avenged57 of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought58 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 days59 were not expired60. [27] Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men61, and slew62 of the Philistines two hundred men63; 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.64 [29] And Saul was yet the65 more afraid of David; and Saul became66 David’s enemy continually. [30] Then the princes67 of the Philistines went forth68: and it came to pass, after they went forth, [that] David behaved himself69 more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by70.

<< 1 Samuel 17 1 Samuel 19 >>

  1. 1Sam 18:1, Jonathan loves David; 1Sam 18:5, Saul envies his praise; 1Sam 18:10, seeks to kill him in his fury; 1Sam 18:12, fears him for his good success; 1Sam 18:17, offers him his daughters for a snare; 1Sam 18:23, David persuaded to be the king’s son-in-law, gives two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal’s dowry; 1Sam 18:28, Saul’s hatred and David’s glory increase. ↩

  2. The modesty, piety, and courage of David were so congenial to the character of the amiable Jonathan, that they attracted his most cordial esteem and affection; so that the most intimate friendship subsisted between them from that time, and they loved each other with pure hearts fervently. Their friendship could not be affected by the common vicissitudes of life; and it exemplifies by fact what the ancients have written on the subject. ↩

  3. 1Sam 18:3, 1Sam 19:2, 1Sam 20:17; Deut 13:6; 2Sam 1:26; Prov 18:24 ↩

  4. Την φιλιαν ισοτητα ειναι, και μιαν ψυχην τον φιλον ετερον αυτον. "Friendship is an entire sameness, and one soul. A friend is another self." 1Sam 14:1-14, 1Sam 14:45; Gen 44:30; Judg 20:11; 1Chr 12:17; Ps 86:11; Col 2:2 ↩

  5. 1Sam 16:21-23, 1Sam 17:15 ↩

  6. 1Sam 20:8-17, 1Sam 20:42, 1Sam 23:18; 2Sam 9:1-3, 2Sam 21:7 ↩

  7. Presents of clothes or rich robes, as tokens of respect or friendship, are frequent in the East. Gen 41:42; Esth 6:8-9; Isa 61:10; Luke 15:22; 2Cor 5:21; Phil 2:7-8 ↩

  8. or, prospered, 1Sam 18:14-15, 1Sam 18:30; Gen 39:2-3, Gen 39:23; Ps 1:3; Acts 7:10 ↩

  9. Matt 10:16; Eph 5:17; Col 4:5 ↩

  10. 1Sam 13:2, 1Sam 14:52 ↩

  11. or, Philistines ↩

  12. Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; Ps 68:25; Jer 31:11-13 ↩

  13. Heb. three stringed instruments, The original shalishim, is rendered by the Vulgate sistris. The sistrum was an ancient Egyptian instrument made of brass, with three, and sometimes more brass rods across; which, being loose in their holes, made a jingling noise when shaken. ↩

  14. Exod 15:21; Ps 24:7-8 ↩

  15. 1Sam 21:11, 1Sam 29:5 ↩

  16. Esth 3:5; Prov 13:10, Prov 27:4; Eccl 4:4; Jas 4:5 ↩

  17. Heb. was evil in his eyes, Num 11:1, Num 22:34 *marg. ↩

  18. 1Sam 13:14, 1Sam 15:28, 1Sam 16:13, 1Sam 20:31; 1Kgs 2:22 ↩

  19. Gen 4:5-6, Gen 31:2; Matt 20:15; Mark 7:22; Eph 4:27; Jas 5:9 ↩

  20. 1Sam 16:14-15, 1Sam 19:9, 1Sam 26:19 ↩

  21. Wyyithnabbai, rather, "and he pretended to prophesy; for the verb is in Hithpael, the signification of which conjugation is not only reflex action, but also affectation of the action: Jer 29:26-27. The meaning seems to be, that Saul, influenced by the evil spirit, feigned to be prophesying, the better to conceal his murderous intentions, and to render David unsuspicious. 1Sam 19:24; 1Kgs 18:29, 1Kgs 22:12, 1Kgs 22:20-23; Jer 28:2-4, Jer 28:11; Zech 13:2-5; Acts 16:16; 2Thess 2:11 ↩

  22. 1Sam 16:16, 1Sam 16:23 ↩

  23. Wehachanith beyad Shaool, rather, "and the javelin was in the hand of Saul;" for the javelin or spear was the emblem of regal authority; and kings had it always in their hand, as may be seen represented on ancient monuments. In ancient times, says Justin, kings used a spear instead of a sceptre. ↩

  24. 1Sam 19:9-10, 1Sam 20:33; Prov 27:4; Isa 54:17 ↩

  25. Ps 37:32-33; Isa 54:17; Luke 4:30; John 8:59, John 10:39 ↩

  26. 1Sam 18:15, 1Sam 18:20, 1Sam 18:29, 1Sam 16:4; Ps 48:3-6, Ps 53:5; Mark 6:20; Luke 8:37; Acts 24:25 ↩

  27. 1Sam 16:13, 1Sam 16:18, 1Sam 22:13; Acts 7:9 ↩

  28. 1Sam 16:14, 1Sam 28:15; Ps 51:11; Hos 9:12; Matt 25:41 ↩

  29. 1Sam 18:17, 1Sam 18:25, 1Sam 8:12, 1Sam 22:7 ↩

  30. 1Sam 18:16; Num 27:16-17; 2Sam 5:2; Ps 121:8; Saul was sensible that the Lord was departed from him; while he perceived, with evident sorrow of heart, that the Lord had given David peculiar wisdom, and that he was with him to prosper all his undertakings. This increased the disquietude of his malevolent mind, and his dread of David as a prevailing rival. He therefore removed him from his presence. This impolitic step, however, served the more to ingratiate David with the people, by affording him the opportunity of leading them forth to victory over their enemies. ↩

  31. or, prospered, 1Sam 18:5 ↩

  32. 1Sam 10:7, 1Sam 16:18; Gen 39:2-3, Gen 39:23; Josh 6:27; Matt 1:23, Matt 28:20; Acts 18:10 ↩

  33. Ps 112:5; Dan 6:4-5; Col 4:5; Jas 1:5, Jas 3:17 ↩

  34. 1Sam 18:5; Luke 19:48, Luke 20:19 ↩

  35. Num 27:17; 2Sam 5:2; 1Kgs 3:7 ↩

  36. 1Sam 17:25; Ps 12:2, Ps 55:21 ↩

  37. Heb. a son of valour ↩

  38. 1Sam 17:47, 1Sam 25:28; Num 32:20, Num 32:27, Num 32:29 ↩

  39. 1Sam 18:21, 1Sam 18:25; Deut 17:7; 2Sam 11:15, 2Sam 12:9 ↩

  40. 1Sam 18:23, 1Sam 9:21; Exod 3:11; Ruth 2:10; 2Sam 7:18; Prov 15:33, Prov 18:12; Jer 1:6 ↩

  41. Judg 14:20; 2Sam 21:8 ↩

  42. Judg 7:22 ↩

  43. 1Sam 18:28, Gen 29:18, Gen 29:20, Gen 34:3; Judg 16:1-31, Judg 4:1-24, Judg 15:1-20; 2Sam 13:1-39, 2Sam 1:1-27; 1Kgs 11:1-43, 1Kgs 1:1-53, 1Kgs 2:1-46; Hos 3:1-5, Hos 2:1-23 ↩

  44. Heb. was right in his eyes ↩

  45. Exod 10:7; Ps 7:14-16, Ps 38:12; Prov 26:24-26, Prov 29:5; Jer 5:26, Jer 9:8 ↩

  46. 1Sam 18:17, 1Sam 19:11-12 ↩

  47. 1Sam 18:26 ↩

  48. Ps 36:1-3, Ps 55:21 ↩

  49. 2Sam 13:28-29; Prov 29:12 ↩

  50. 1John 3:1 ↩

  51. 1Sam 9:21; Prov 14:20, Prov 19:6-7; Eccl 9:15-16 ↩

  52. Ps 119:141 ↩

  53. Heb. According to these words, 1Sam 18:24 ↩

  54. Gen 29:18, Gen 34:12; Exod 22:16-17 ↩

  55. That is, Thou shalt slay one hundred Philistines, and thou shalt produce their foreskins as a proof, not only that thou hast killed one hundred men, but that these are of the uncircumcised Philistines. ↩

  56. 1Sam 17:26, 1Sam 17:36; Gen 17:11-14; Josh 5:3 ↩

  57. 1Sam 14:24 ↩

  58. 1Sam 18:17; 2Sam 17:8-11 ↩

  59. 1Sam 18:21 ↩

  60. Heb. fulfilled ↩

  61. 1Sam 18:13 ↩

  62. Judg 14:19; 2Sam 3:14 ↩

  63. The Septuagint has only εκατον ανδπας, one hundred men; and as Saul covenanted for a hundred, as David himself says (2Sam 3:14), that he espoused Michal for a hundred, it is very probable that this is the true reading. ↩

  64. 1Sam 24:20, 1Sam 26:25; Gen 30:27, Gen 37:8-11, Gen 39:3; Rev 3:9 ↩

  65. 1Sam 18:12, 1Sam 18:15; Ps 37:12-14; Eccl 4:4; Jas 2:19 ↩

  66. Gen 4:4-8; John 11:53; 1John 3:12-15 ↩

  67. Of this war we know no more than that David, whose military skill was greater, was more successful in it, than all the other officers of Saul. ↩

  68. 2Sam 11:1 ↩

  69. 1Sam 18:5; Ps 119:99; Dan 1:20; Luke 21:15; Eph 5:15 ↩

  70. Heb. precious, 1Sam 2:30, 1Sam 26:21; 2Kgs 1:13; Ps 116:15; 1Pet 2:4, 1Pet 2:7 ↩