David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,(A) singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. As they celebrated, the women sang:

Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands.(B)

Saul was furious and resented this song.[a] “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?”(C) So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:8 Lit furious; this saying was evil in his eyes

David went out and was successful in every mission Saul sent him to do. So Saul placed him in charge of the soldiers, and this pleased all the troops as well as Saul’s servants.

Saul jealous of David

After David came back from killing the Philistine, and as the troops returned home, women from all of Israel’s towns came out to meet King Saul[a] with singing and dancing, with tambourines, rejoicing, and musical instruments. The women sang in celebration:

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

Saul burned with anger. This song annoyed him. “They’ve credited David with tens of thousands,” he said, “but only credit me with thousands. What’s next for him—the kingdom itself?” So Saul kept a close eye on David from that point on.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 18:6 MT; LXX to meet David