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David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he was successful. So Saul set him over the men of war, and it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of the servants of Saul.

When they came home, as David was returning from slaying the Philistine, the women came out from all cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. The dancing women sang and said,

“Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands.”

Saul became very angry, and this saying was displeasing to him. Therefore he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what remains for him to have but the kingdom?” So Saul was suspicious of David from that day and forward.

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David’s Successes Arouse Saul’s Suspicions

David went out whenever[a] Saul sent him, and he succeeded. So Saul appointed him over the men of the war, and it pleased[b] all the people and even pleased[c] the servants of Saul. When they were coming back[d] 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. And the women sang as they danced, and they said,

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

Saul became very angry,[e] and this saying displeased him,[f] 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?”[g] So Saul was watching[h] David with suspicion from that day onward.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:5 Literally “in all that”
  2. 1 Samuel 18:5 Literally “was good in the eyes of”
  3. 1 Samuel 18:5 Literally “was good in the eyes of”
  4. 1 Samuel 18:6 Literally “And it happened at their coming”
  5. 1 Samuel 18:8 Literally “And it was very hot for Saul”
  6. 1 Samuel 18:8 Literally “this thing was bad in his eyes”
  7. 1 Samuel 18:8 Literally “And still for him is only the kingdom”
  8. 1 Samuel 18:9 The Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) reads “sin”; the translation follows the reading tradition (Qere) which has “eyeing” or “watching”