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1 Samuel 18
New English Translation

Saul Comes to Fear David

18 When David[a] had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship.[b] Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.[c] 2 Saul retained David[d] on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life.[e] 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.

5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants.[f]

6 When the men[g] arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments.[h] 7 The women who were playing the music sang,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands!”

8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought,[i] “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.

10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied[j] within his house. Now David was playing the lyre[k] as usual. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.

12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 Saul removed David[l] from his presence and made him a commanding officer.[m] David led the army out to battle and back.[n] 14 Now David achieved success in all he did,[o] for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.

17 [p] Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior[q] for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”

18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father[r] in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.

20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it[s] pleased him. 21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and so the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.”[t]

22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately to[u] David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly esteemed man!”

24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except 100 Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his[v] enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)

26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed[w] to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired[x] 27 when David, along with his men, went out[y] and struck down 200 Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so that he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

28 When Saul realized[z] that the Lord was with David and that his[aa] daughter Michal loved David,[ab] 29 Saul became even more afraid of him.[ac] Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on.[ad] 30 [ae] The leaders of the Philistines would march out, and as often as they did so, David achieved more success than all of Saul’s servants. His name was held in high esteem.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”
  3. 1 Samuel 18:1 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”sn On the nature of Jonathan’s love for David, see J. A. Thompson, “The Significance of the Verb Love in the David-Jonathan Narratives in 1 Samuel,” VT 24 (1974): 334-38.
  4. 1 Samuel 18:2 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. 1 Samuel 18:3 tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”
  6. 1 Samuel 18:5 tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”
  7. 1 Samuel 18:6 tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.
  8. 1 Samuel 18:6 tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”
  9. 1 Samuel 18:8 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
  10. 1 Samuel 18:10 tn Or “he raved.” This same construction appears in 1 Sam 10:10 “the spirit of God rushed upon him and then he prophesied in their midst.” It is important to consider the agent affecting Saul, the verb describing his actions, and the broader cultural background. The phrase רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים (ruakh ʾelohim) could mean “a divine wind/spirit,” “a spirit from God,” or “the spirit of God.” Unlike 1 Sam 10:10, this case involves a harmful, or evil, spirit. The range of meaning of רָעָה (raʿah) can mean either harm or evil, and here indicates that this spirit’s purpose is to afflict Saul. The verb וַיִּתְנַבֵּא (vayyitnabbeʾ) is a Hitpael of the root נָבָא (nabaʾ) which means “to prophesy” in both the Niphal and the Hitpael. The difference may well be that the Niphal refers primarily to acting as a spokesman, while the Hitpael reflects an accompanying ecstatic experience on the part of the prophet (cf. 1 Sam 10:6; 19:24). 1 Kgs 18:29 also describes the antics of the prophets of Baal with the Hitpael of the root נָבָא (nabaʾ). Ecstatic experiences or expressions were sometimes associated with prophecy in the broader West Semitic culture as well as in the Israel. Some translations focus on the presumed outward effects of the afflicting spirit on Saul and render the verb “he raged” or “he raved” (NASB, ESV, NLT, NRSV). Although most biblical references to Israel’s prophets do not involve ecstatic experiences, the original audience would probably not have made a distinction here, that is, “raving” and “prophesying” would not have been considered alternatives.
  11. 1 Samuel 18:10 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
  12. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
  14. 1 Samuel 18:13 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
  15. 1 Samuel 18:14 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
  16. 1 Samuel 18:17 tc Much of the ms evidence for the LXX lacks vv. 17-19.
  17. 1 Samuel 18:17 tn Heb “son of valor.”
  18. 1 Samuel 18:18 tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word.
  19. 1 Samuel 18:20 tn Heb “the matter.”
  20. 1 Samuel 18:21 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX mss.
  21. 1 Samuel 18:23 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
  22. 1 Samuel 18:25 tn Heb “the king’s.”
  23. 1 Samuel 18:26 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
  24. 1 Samuel 18:26 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
  25. 1 Samuel 18:27 tn Heb “arose and went.”
  26. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
  27. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
  28. 1 Samuel 18:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  29. 1 Samuel 18:29 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
  30. 1 Samuel 18:29 tc The final sentence of v. 29 is absent in most LXX mss.tn Heb “all the days.”
  31. 1 Samuel 18:30 tc Verse 30 is absent in most LXX mss.
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1 Samuel 18
International Standard Version

Jonathan and David’s Friendship

18 When David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became a close friend to David,[a] and Jonathan[b] loved him as himself. 2 Saul took David[c] that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe that he had on and gave it to David, along with his coat, his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 David went out and was successful everywhere Saul sent him, and Saul put him in charge of the troops. This pleased the entire army,[d] as well as Saul’s officials.[e]

Saul’s Jealousy of David

6 When David returned from defeating the Philistine, as they were entering the city, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul, singing and dancing as they joyously played tambourines and lyres. 7 As the women sang and played, they said,

“Saul has struck down his thousands
    but David his ten thousands.”

8 Saul was very angry and he did not like what the women sang. He told himself,[f] “They have attributed tens of thousands to David, but to me they have attributed thousands. What else can he have but the kingdom?” 9 From then on Saul kept his eye on David.[g]

10 The next day, while David was playing the lyre[h] as he had before, the evil spirit from the Lord attacked Saul, and he began to rave[i] inside the house with a spear in his hand. 11 Saul hurled it, thinking,[j] “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from him twice.

12 Now Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and had departed from Saul. 13 Saul removed David[k] from his presence and made him an officer over a division of soldiers.[l] So David led the troops in battle.[m] 14 David was successful in all that he did, for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw that David[n] was highly successful, he feared him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in battle.[o]

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

17 Saul told David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife. Just be an excellent soldier for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” Now Saul told himself,[p] “I won’t harm him myself.[q] Instead, I’ll let the Philistines harm him.”[r]

18 David told 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 And when the time came to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given as a wife to Adriel of Meholah.

20 Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. Saul was informed of this and he liked the idea.[s] 21 Saul told himself,[t] “I’ll give her to him and she can be a snare to him and the Philistines will harm him.”[u] So Saul told David, “For a second time you can be my son-in-law today.”

22 Saul commanded his officials,[v] “Speak with David privately and say, ‘Look, the king delights in you, and all his officials[w] love you. Now become the king’s son-in-law.’”

23 Saul’s officials[x] delivered this message to David,[y] and he[z] asked, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law an unimportant thing to you? I’m a poor and unimportant man.”

24 Saul’s officials[aa] reported to him: “This is what David said.”

25 Saul said, “This is what you are to tell David, ‘The king desires no bride price except 100 Philistine foreskins to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would cause David to die at the hand of the Philistines. 26 When his officials[ab] delivered this message to David, David decided it would be a good thing to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time was up, 27 David got up, went out with his men, and struck down 200 Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and gave them all to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. 28 As Saul continued to observe, he realized that the Lord was with David and that Saul’s daughter Michal loved him. 29 Then Saul was even more afraid of David, and Saul was David’s enemy from that time on.[ac]

30 The Philistine commanders would go out to fight[ad] and whenever they did, David was more successful than any of Saul’s other leaders.[ae] His name was held in high esteem.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:1 Lit. Jonathan’s soul was knit with David’s soul
  2. 1 Samuel 18:1 Lit. he
  3. 1 Samuel 18:2 Lit. him
  4. 1 Samuel 18:5 Or pleased all the people
  5. 1 Samuel 18:5 Or servants
  6. 1 Samuel 18:8 The Heb. lacks to himself
  7. 1 Samuel 18:9 Or eyed David with suspicion
  8. 1 Samuel 18:10 Lit. playing with his hand
  9. 1 Samuel 18:10 Or prophesy
  10. 1 Samuel 18:11 Lit. saying
  11. 1 Samuel 18:13 Lit. him
  12. 1 Samuel 18:13 Lit. over a thousand
  13. 1 Samuel 18:13 Lit. went out and came in before the people (i.e. the soldiers)
  14. 1 Samuel 18:15 Lit. he
  15. 1 Samuel 18:16 Lit. went out and came in before them
  16. 1 Samuel 18:17 The Heb. lacks to himself
  17. 1 Samuel 18:17 Lit. Let not my hand be against him
  18. 1 Samuel 18:17 Lit. let the hand of the Philistines be against him
  19. 1 Samuel 18:20 Lit. the matter was straight in his eyes
  20. 1 Samuel 18:21 The Heb. lacks to himself
  21. 1 Samuel 18:21 Lit. so the hand of the Philistines will be against him
  22. 1 Samuel 18:22 Or servants
  23. 1 Samuel 18:22 Or servants
  24. 1 Samuel 18:23 Or servants
  25. 1 Samuel 18:23 Lit. spoke these words in the ears of David
  26. 1 Samuel 18:23 Lit. David
  27. 1 Samuel 18:24 Or servants
  28. 1 Samuel 18:26 Or servants
  29. 1 Samuel 18:29 Lit. all the days
  30. 1 Samuel 18:30 The Heb. lacks to fight
  31. 1 Samuel 18:30 Or servants
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1 Samuel 17
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