1 Samuel 18
New Living Translation
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
18 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[a] 7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10 The very next day a tormenting spirit[b] from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
12 Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. 13 Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.
14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.
David Marries Saul’s Daughter
17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
18 “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” 19 So[c] when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.
20 In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. 21 “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”
22 Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”
23 When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”
24 When Saul’s men reported this back to the king, 25 he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
26 David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, 27 he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, 29 Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.
30 Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.
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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