1 Samuel 18
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
18 When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life.
2 Saul took David that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.
3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own life.
4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, even his sword, his bow, and his girdle.
5 And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he prospered and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was satisfactory both to the people and to Saul’s servants.
6 As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the Israelite towns, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with timbrels, songs of joy, and instruments of music.
7 And the women responded as they laughed and frolicked, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very angry, for the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed only thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?
9 And Saul [jealously] eyed David from that day forward.
10 The next day an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved [madly] in his house, while David played [the lyre] with his hand, as at other times; and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
11 And Saul cast the javelin, for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. And David evaded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
13 So Saul removed David from him and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 David acted wisely in all his ways and succeeded, and the Lord was with him.
15 When Saul saw how capable and successful David was, he stood in awe of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
17 Saul said to David, My elder daughter Merab I will give you as wife; only serve me courageously and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand, but the Philistines’ hand, be upon him.
18 David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?
19 But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and it pleased him.
21 Saul thought, I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. So Saul said to David a second time, You shall now be my son-in-law.
22 And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately and say, The king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become [his] son-in-law.
23 Saul’s servants told those words to David. David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him what David said.
25 Saul said, Say this to David, The king wants no dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the Philistines’ hands.
26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased [him] well to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the days expired,
27 David went, he and his men, and slew two hundred Philistine men, and brought their foreskins and gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.
28 When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michal [his] daughter loved him,
29 Saul was still more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s constant enemy.
30 Then the Philistine princes came out to battle, and when they did so, David had more success and behaved himself more wisely than all Saul’s servants, so that his name was very dear and highly esteemed.
1 Samuel 18
Lexham English Bible
The Friendship of David and Jonathan
18 When[a] he finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan became attached to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him on that very day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped off the robe that he was wearing[b] and gave it to David, along with his fighting attire,[c] and even his sword, his bow, and his belt.
David’s Successes Arouse Saul’s Suspicions
5 David went out whenever[d] Saul sent him, and he succeeded. So Saul appointed him over the men of the war, and it pleased[e] all the people and even pleased[f] the servants of Saul. 6 When they were coming back[g] after David had returned from striking down the Philistine, the women went out from all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments. 7 And the women sang as they danced, and they said,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his ten thousands!”
8 Saul became very angry,[h] and this saying displeased him,[i] and he thought, “They have attributed to David ten thousands, but to me they have attributed thousands! What more can he have but the kingdom?”[j] 9 So Saul was watching[k] David with suspicion from that day onward.
10 On[l] the next day, the evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. Now David was playing the lyre with his hand on that day as usual,[m] and the spear was in Saul’s hand. 11 Then Saul hurled the spear and thought, “I will pin David to the wall.”[n] But David eluded him twice. 12 Now Saul was threatened by the presence of David[o] because Yahweh was with him, but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence,[p] and made him commander of a thousand, so he[q] marched in and out at the front of the army.[r] 14 And David was achieving success in all his ways and Yahweh was with him, 15 but when Saul saw that he was very successful, he was severely threatened by him.[s] 16 However, all of Israel and Judah were loving David, for he was going forth and marching ahead of them.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter Michal
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife. Only be a brave warrior[t] for me and fight the battles of Yahweh.” For Saul thought, “My hand will not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives, the clan of my father in Israel, that I should be a son-in-law to the king?” 19 But[u] at the time Saul’s daughter Merab was to be given to David, she was given instead to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, so they told Saul, and the matter pleased him.[v] 21 And Saul thought, “I will give her to him, so that she may be a snare for him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time you can become my son-in-law today.” 22 Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in secret, saying, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. So then, become a son-in-law of the king.’” 23 And Saul’s servants spoke these words to David privately.[w] But David said, “Is it insignificant in your sight[x] to become the son-in-law of the king, as I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?” 24 So the servants of Saul informed him, saying, “This is what David said.”[y] 25 Then Saul said, “This is what you must say to David: ‘The king desires no bride price[z] except for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the enemies of the king.’” (Now Saul had planned to allow David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.) 26 So his servants told David these words, and the matter pleased David[aa] to become the son-in-law of the king as the specified time had not expired.[ab]
27 And David got up, and he and his men went and struck down two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they presented the full number[ac] to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as his wife. 28 When Saul realized[ad] that Yahweh was with David and his own daughter Michal[ae] loved him, 29 Saul was threatened by David still more,[af] so Saul became a perpetual enemy of David.[ag] 30 Then the commanders of the Philistines went out for battle, and as often as they went out, David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very esteemed.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 18:1 Literally “And it happened as”
- 1 Samuel 18:4 Literally “which was on him”
- 1 Samuel 18:4 Hebrew “gown,” in this context “fighting tunic,” perhaps “armor”
- 1 Samuel 18:5 Literally “in all that”
- 1 Samuel 18:5 Literally “was good in the eyes of”
- 1 Samuel 18:5 Literally “was good in the eyes of”
- 1 Samuel 18:6 Literally “And it happened at their coming”
- 1 Samuel 18:8 Literally “And it was very hot for Saul”
- 1 Samuel 18:8 Literally “this thing was bad in his eyes”
- 1 Samuel 18:8 Literally “And still for him is only the kingdom”
- 1 Samuel 18:9 The Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) reads “sin”; the translation follows the reading tradition (Qere) which has “eyeing” or “watching”
- 1 Samuel 18:10 Literally “And it happened from”
- 1 Samuel 18:10 Literally “as day on day”
- 1 Samuel 18:11 Literally “I will strike David and to the wall”
- 1 Samuel 18:12 Literally “And Saul was afraid from the presence of David”
- 1 Samuel 18:13 Literally “from with him”
- 1 Samuel 18:13 That is, David
- 1 Samuel 18:13 Literally “for he was going out and was coming in before the army”
- 1 Samuel 18:15 Literally “he was terrified from his face”
- 1 Samuel 18:17 Literally “a son of valor”
- 1 Samuel 18:19 Literally “And it happened”
- 1 Samuel 18:20 Literally “was right in his eyes”
- 1 Samuel 18:23 Literally “in the ears of David”
- 1 Samuel 18:23 Literally “in your eyes”
- 1 Samuel 18:24 Literally “According to these words David spoke”
- 1 Samuel 18:25 Literally “There is not a desire for the king for a bride price”
- 1 Samuel 18:26 Literally “was right in the eyes of David”
- 1 Samuel 18:26 Literally “the days were not full”
- 1 Samuel 18:27 Literally “they filled them up”
- 1 Samuel 18:28 Literally “saw and knew”
- 1 Samuel 18:28 Literally “Michal the daughter of Saul”
- 1 Samuel 18:29 Literally “added to be afraid from the presence of David”
- 1 Samuel 18:29 Literally “was an enemy with David all the days”
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