1 Samuel 18:17-30

English Standard Version

David Marries Michal

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “Here is ^(A)my elder daughter Merab. ^(B)I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me ^(C)and fight the Lord's battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, ^(D)but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ¹⁸And David said to Saul, ^(E)“Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to ^(F)Adriel the ^(G)Meholathite for a wife.

²⁰Now ^(H)Saul's daughter Michal ^(I)loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may ^(J)be a snare for him ^(K)and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time,^[a] ^(L)“You shall now be my son-in-law.” ²²And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king's son-in-law.’” ²³And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, ^(M)“Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” ²⁴And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” ²⁵Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no ^(N)bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, ^(O)that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.’” ^(P)Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. ^(Q)Before the time had expired, ²⁷David arose and went, ^(R)along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. ^(S)And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. ²⁸But when Saul saw and knew that ^(T)the Lord was with David, ^(U)and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, ²⁹Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.

³⁰^(V)Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out ^(W)David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

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Footnotes

1 Samuel 18:21 Hebrew by two

1 Samuel 18:17-30

New International Version

¹⁷Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter^(A) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;^(B) only serve me bravely and fight the battles^(C) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,^(D) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸But David said to Saul, “Who am I,^(E) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?^(F)” ¹⁹So^[a] when the time came for Merab,^(G) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(H)

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(I) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^(J) ²¹“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(K) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²²Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(L) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price^(M) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge^(N) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan^(O) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal^(P) in marriage.

²⁸When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(Q) loved David, ²⁹Saul became still more afraid^(R) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success^(S) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

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