1 Samuel 18:1-30
Saul's Fears Grow Against David
1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.
6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.
10 The next day an evil[a] spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.
17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”
18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 19 So[b] when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”
22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”
23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
Saul decided to take David with him...He would not let David go back home to his father...After David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan developed a strong friendship with David...Jonathan loved David as much as himself, so they made a special agreement...Jonathan took off the coat he was wearing and gave it to David...In fact, Jonathan gave David his whole uniform—including his sword, his bow, and even his belt...David went to fight wherever Saul sent him...He was very successful, so Saul put him in charge of the soldiers...This pleased everyone, even Saul’s officers...David would go out to fight against the Philistines...On the way home, after the battles, women in every town in Israel would come out to meet him...They sang and danced for joy as they played their tambourines and lyres...They did this right in front of Saul!...The women sang, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands.”...This song upset Saul and he became very angry...Saul thought, “The women give David credit for killing tens of thousands of the enemy, and they give me credit for only thousands...A little more of this and they will give him the kingdom itself!”...So from that time on, Saul watched David very closely...
The next day, an evil spirit from God took control of Saul and he went wild in his house...David played the harp to calm him as he usually did, but Saul had a spear in his hand...He thought, “I’ll pin David to the wall.”...Saul threw the spear twice, but David jumped out of the way both times...The LORD had left Saul and was now with David, so Saul was afraid of David...Saul sent David away and made him a commander over 1,000 soldiers...This put David out among the men even more as they went into battle and returned...The LORD was with David, so he was successful in everything...Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him...But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle...
One day Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter, Merab...I will let you marry her...Then you will be like a son to me and you will be a real soldier...Then you will go and fight the LORD’s battles.”...Saul was really thinking, “Now I won’t have to kill David...I will let the Philistines kill him for me.”...But David said, “I am not an important man from an important family...I can’t marry the king’s daughter.”...So when the time came for David to marry Saul’s daughter, Saul let her marry Adriel from Meholah...People told Saul that his daughter Michal loved David...This made Saul happy. ..He thought, “I will use Michal to trap David...I will let Michal marry David, and then I will let the Philistines kill him.”...So Saul said to David a second time, “You can marry my daughter today.”...Saul commanded his officers to speak to David in private...He told them to say, “Look, the king likes you...His officers like you...You should marry his daughter.”...Saul’s officers said these things to David, but David answered, “Do you think it is easy to become the king’s son-in-law?...I am just a poor, ordinary man.”...Saul’s officers told Saul what David said...Saul told them, “Say this to David, ‘David, the king doesn’t want you to pay money for his daughter...He wants to get even with his enemy, so the price for marrying his daughter is 100 Philistine foreskins.’”...That was Saul’s secret plan...He thought the Philistines would kill David...Saul’s officers told this to David...David was happy that he had a chance to become the king’s son-in-law, so immediately he and his men went out to fight the Philistines...They killed 200 Philistines. David took these Philistine foreskins and gave them to Saul...He did this because he wanted to become the king’s son-in-law...Saul let David marry his daughter Michal...He saw that the LORD was with David and he also saw that his daughter, Michal, loved David...So Saul became even more afraid of David and was against him all that time...The Philistine commanders continued to go out to fight the Israelites, but David defeated them every time...David became famous as Saul’s best officer...