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1 Samuel 18:1-30 — Saul's Jealousy of David

1Sam.18.1-30

¹Now when David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ²Saul took him that day, and did not let him return to his father's house. ³Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴Jonathan stripped off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, along with his armor, and even his sword, his bow, and his belt. ⁵David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he acted wisely and succeeded. 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 Saul's servants. ⁶As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. ⁷The women sang to one another as they celebrated, and said: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” ⁸Saul became very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?” ⁹And Saul kept a jealous eye on David from that day forward. ¹⁰The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the lyre with his hand, as he did day by day. Now Saul had his spear in his hand. ¹¹Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. ¹²Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he led the troops out to battle and back. ¹⁴David acted wisely and succeeded in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. ¹⁵When Saul saw that he was very successful, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them out to battle and back. ¹⁷Then 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 LORD's battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” ¹⁸David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives or my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given as a wife to Adriel the Meholathite. ²⁰Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹Saul thought, “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, “For a second time today you can become my son-in-law.” ²²Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, 'Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king's son-in-law.'” ²³Saul's servants spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to become the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” ²⁴The servants of Saul told him, saying, “These are the words David spoke.” ²⁵Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: 'The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'” But Saul intended to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law. Before the days had expired, ²⁷David arose and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they presented them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. ²⁸When Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, ²⁹Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually. ³⁰Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out, David acted more wisely and succeeded more than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

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4/11/2026

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