1Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father's house. 3And Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his garments, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. 5And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was pleasing in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of Saul's servants. 6And it happened as they were coming, as David was returning from killing the Philistine, that the women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of the triad. 7And the women responded as they played, and said: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very furious, and the saying made his eyes quiver; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom? 9So Saul eyed David from that day forward. 10And it happened on the next day that the evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; and there was a spear in Saul's hand. 11And Saul threw the spear, for he thought, I will strike David to the wall! But David turned away from his presence twice. 12And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, but had departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from being with him, and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and Jehovah was with him. 15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 17And Saul said to David, Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the battles of Jehovah. For Saul thought, Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him. 18And 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? 19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. 20Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing was agreeable in his eyes. 21And 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 a second time, You shall be my son-in-law today. 22And Saul commanded his servants, Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delighted in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king's son-in-law. 23And Saul's servants spoke those words in David's ears. And David said, Is it a slight thing in your eyes to be a king's son-in-law, seeing as how I am a poor man and lightly esteemed? 24And the servants of Saul reported to him, saying, In this manner David has spoken. 25And Saul said, Thus you shall say to David: The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26And when his servants told David these words, the thing was agreeable in David's eyes, to become the king's son-in-law. And the day had not ended; 27therefore David rose up and went out, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. 28Thus Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him; 29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually. 30And the commanders of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 JONATHAN LOVES DAVID. (
1Sam 18:1-4)
the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David--They were nearly of an age. The prince had taken little interest in David as a minstrel; but his heroism and modest, manly bearing, his piety and high endowments, kindled the flame not of admiration only, but of affection, in the congenial mind of Jonathan.
2 Saul would let him go no more home--He was established as a permanent resident at court.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant--Such covenants of brotherhood are frequent in the East. They are ratified by certain ceremonies, and in presence of witnesses, that the persons covenanting will be sworn brothers for life.
4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David--To receive any part of the dress which had been worn by a sovereign, or his eldest son and heir, is deemed, in the East, the highest honor which can be conferred on a subject (see on
Esth 6:8). The girdle, being connected with the sword and the bow, may be considered as being part of the military dress, and great value is attached to it in the East.
6 SAUL ENVIES HIS PRAISE. (
1Sam 18:5-9)
the women came out of all cities of Israel--in the homeward march from the pursuit of the Philistines. This is a characteristic trait of Oriental manners. On the return of friends long absent, and particularly on the return of a victorious army, bands of women and children issue from the towns and villages, to form a triumphal procession, to celebrate the victory, and, as they go along, to gratify the soldiers with dancing, instrumental music, and extempore songs, in honor of the generals who have earned the highest distinction by feats of gallantry. The Hebrew women, therefore, were merely paying the customary gratulations to David as the deliverer of their country, but they committed a great indiscretion by praising a subject at the expense of their sovereign.
9 Saul eyed David--that is, invidiously, with secret and malignant hatred.
10 SEEKS TO KILL HIM. (
1Sam 18:10-12)
on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul--This rankling thought brought on a sudden paroxysm of his mental malady.
he prophesied--The term denotes one under the influence either of a good or a bad spirit. In the present it is used to express that Saul was in a frenzy. David, perceiving the symptoms, hastened, by the soothing strains of his harp, to allay the stormy agitation of the royal mind. But before its mollifying influence could be felt, Saul hurled a javelin at the head of the young musician.
there was a javelin in Saul's hand--Had it been followed by a fatal result, the deed would have been considered the act of an irresponsible maniac. It was repeated more than once ineffectually, and Saul became impressed with a dread of David as under the special protection of Providence.
13 FEARS HIM FOR HIS GOOD SUCCESS. (
1Sam 18:13-16)
Therefore Saul removed him from him--sent him away from the court, where the principal persons, including his own son, were spellbound with admiration of the young and pious warrior.
made him captain over a thousand--gave him a military commission, which was intended to be an honorable exile. But this post of duty served only to draw out before the public the extraordinary and varied qualities of his character, and to give him a stronger hold of the people's affections.
17 HE OFFERS HIM HIS DAUGHTER FOR A SNARE. (
1Sam 18:17-21)
Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife--Though bound to this already [
1Sam 17:25], he had found it convenient to forget his former promise. He now holds it out as a new offer, which would tempt David to give additional proofs of his valor. But the fickle and perfidious monarch broke his pledge at the time when the marriage was on the eve of being celebrated, and bestowed Merab on another man (see on
2Sam 21:8); an indignity as well as a wrong, which was calculated deeply to wound the feelings and provoke the resentment of David. Perhaps it was intended to do so, that advantage might be taken of his indiscretion. But David was preserved from this snare.
20 Michal Saul's daughter loved David--This must have happened some time after.
they told Saul, and the thing pleased him--Not from any favor to David, but he saw that it would be turned to the advancement of his malicious purposes, and the more so when, by the artful intrigues and flattery of his spies, the loyal sentiments of David were discovered.
25 The king desireth not any dowry--In Eastern countries the husband purchases his wife either by gifts or services. As neither David nor his family were in circumstances to give a suitable dowry for a princess, the king intimated that he would be graciously pleased to accept some gallant deed in the public service.
a hundred foreskins of the Philistines--Such mutilations on the bodies of their slain enemies were commonly practised in ancient war, and the number told indicated the glory of the victory. Saul's willingness to accept a public service had an air of liberality, while his choice of so difficult and hazardous a service seemed only putting a proper value on gaining the hand of a king's daughter. But he covered unprincipled malice against David under this proposal, which exhibited a zeal for God and the covenant of circumcision.
26 the days were not expired--The period within which this exploit was to be achieved was not exhausted.
27 David . . . slew of the Philistines two hundred men--The number was doubled, partly to show his respect and attachment to the princess, and partly to oblige Saul to the fulfilment of his pledge.
29 Saul was yet the more afraid of David--because Providence had visibly favored him, by not only defeating the conspiracy against his life, but through his royal alliance paving his way to the throne.