1 Samuel chapter 18
The love-relationship between David and Jonathan. Saul becomes jealous of David. Saul tries to kill David. David marries Michal.
THE LOVE-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DAVID AND JONATHAN
VERSE 1. When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
VERSE 2. Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more.
VERSE 3. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
he loved him as his own soul. David and Jonathan greatly delighted in each other. They kissed each other. David preferred Jonathan’s love more than love from women. Read more »
VERSE 4. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.
SAUL BECOMES JEALOUS OF DAVID
VERSE 5. David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
VERSE 6. As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.
VERSE 7. The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
David his ten thousands. This was the trigger for Saul’s terrible jealousy over David, a jealousy that would be his ultimate undoing.
That being said, Saul was probably quite insecure anyway. His kingship was a comedy of errors. And God had rejected him as king. Perhaps this incident simply gave Saul the final nudge.
VERSE 8. Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have creditd David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?”
VERSE 9. Saul watched David from that day and forward.
Saul watched David from that day. People in positions of leadership are often quite insecure. And petty. And vengeful.
SAUL TRIES TO KILL DAVID
VERSE 10. On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
an evil spirit from God. What does this mean?
VERSE 11. and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.
Saul threw the spear. Saul went into fits of rage, and then tried to murder David.
VERSE 12. Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul.
VERSE 13. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
VERSE 14. David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
David behaved himself wisely. However, David also behaved unwisely, at least sometimes.
VERSE 15. When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
VERSE 16. But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
DAVID MARRIES MICHAL
VERSE 17. Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”
I will give her to you as wife. Foolish Saul treated his daughter as property.
VERSE 18. David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”
VERSE 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.
VERSE 20. Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
VERSE 21. Saul said, 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. Therefore Saul said to David, “You shall today be my son-in-law a second time.”
Saul said, I will give her to him. Foolish Saul treats his daughter as property.
VERSE 22. Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
VERSE 23. Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man, and little known?”
I am a poor man. David was descended from shepherds. Perhaps shepherds were viewed as poor people.
VERSE 24. The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
VERSE 25. Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
VERSE 26. When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline,
VERSE 27. David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.
VERSE 28. Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
VERSE 29. Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.
VERSE 30. Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
1 SAMUEL
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
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