- 1 Samuel
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18
1 After David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became great friends with David. He loved David as he loved himself. 2 From that time on Jonathan had David work for him and would not let him go back home. 3 Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.* These actions were a way of confirming the agreement.
5 David was successful in doing everything Saul asked him to do, so Saul made him an officer in the army. This pleased everyone, including Saul's other officers.
6 When the soldiers returned home after David had killed the Philistine, the women of all the towns of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul, happily celebrating with tambourines and musical instruments. 7 As they danced the women sang, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
8 What they were singing made Saul very angry as he didn't think it was right. He said to himself, “They've given David credit for killing tens of thousands, but only thousands to me. All that's left is to give him the kingdom!” 9 From that time on Saul viewed David with suspicion.
10 The following day an evil spirit from God came on Saul with power, and he was ranting† “Ranting”: the word is normally translated “prophesying,” (see for example 10:10 when it is applied to Saul), but the main function of a true prophet of God was to deliver messages from God. That the source was “an evil spirit” does not fit such a picture, even if the evil spirit “came from God.” inside the house while David played the harp as he regularly did. Saul happened to be holding a spear, 11 and he threw it at David, saying to himself, “I'll pin David to the wall.” But David managed to escape him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David, but he had given up on Saul. 13 So Saul sent David away and made him a commander of a thousand soldiers, leading them out and back as part of the army.
14 David was very successful in everything he did, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful David was, he was even more afraid of him. 16 But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David, because of his leadership in the army.
17 One day Saul told David, “Here's my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage, but only if you prove to me you're a brave warrior and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul was thinking, “I don't need to be the one to kill him—let the Philistines do it!”
18 “But who am I, and what status does my family have in Israel, for me to become the son-in-law of the king?” David replied.‡ David may have been concerned at the cost of providing a dowry, especially as this is a condition of marriage mentioned later in verse 25.
19 However, when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah instead.
20 Meanwhile Saul's daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and when Saul was told, he was happy about it. 21 “I'll give her to David,” Saul thought. “She can be the bait so the Philistines can trap him.” So Saul said to David, “This is the second time you can become my son-in-law.”
22 Saul gave these instructions to his servants, “Talk with David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is very happy with you, and all of us love you. Why not become the king's son-in-law?’ ”
23 Saul's servants spoke privately to David, but he replied, “Do you think it's nothing to become the king's son-in-law? I'm a poor man, and I'm not important.”
24 When Saul's servants explained to him what David had said, 25 Saul told them, “Tell David, ‘The only dowry the king wants for the bride is one hundred foreskins of dead Philistine as a way of taking revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul's plan was to have David be killed by the Philistines.
26 When the servants reported what the king had said back to David, he was happy to become the king's son-in-law. While there was still time, 27 David set off with his men and killed two hundred Philistines, and brought back their foreskins. They counted them all out before the king so that David could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28 Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal was in love with David, 29 and so he became even more afraid of David, and was David's enemy for the rest of his life.
30 Whenever the Philistine commanders attacked, David was more successful in battle than all of Saul's officers, so that his reputation grew rapidly.

- 1 Samuel
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*18:4 These actions were a way of confirming the agreement.

†18:10 “Ranting”: the word is normally translated “prophesying,” (see for example 10:10 when it is applied to Saul), but the main function of a true prophet of God was to deliver messages from God. That the source was “an evil spirit” does not fit such a picture, even if the evil spirit “came from God.”

‡18:18 David may have been concerned at the cost of providing a dowry, especially as this is a condition of marriage mentioned later in verse 25.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher