1 Samuel · Brenton's English Septuagint
1 Samuel 18 Brenton's English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- Square brackets mark words Brenton supplied for English sense.
- Old Testament only (no New Testament). First printed 1844; the 1851 edition added the deuterocanonical books.
6 And there came out women in dances to meet David out of all the cities of Israel, with timbrels, and with rejoicing, and with cymbals.
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. 2 Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash. 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. 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.
7 And the women began [the strain], and said, Saul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
7 The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
8 And it seemed evil in the eyes of Saul concerning this matter, and he said, To David they have given ten thousands, and to me they have given thousands.
8 Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” 9 Saul watched David from that day and forward. 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; 11 and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.
12 And Saul was alarmed on account of David.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul.
13 And he removed him from him, and made him a captain of a thousand for himself; and he went out and came in before the people.
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.
14 And David was prudent in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him.
15 And Saul saw that he was very wise, and he was afraid of him.
15 When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
16 And all Israel and Juda loved David, because he came in and went out before the people.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. 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 Yahweh’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.” 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?” 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.
20 And Melchol the daughter of Saul loved David; and it was told Saul, and the thing was pleasing in his eyes.
20 Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give her to him, and she shall be a stumbling-block to him. Now the hand of the Philistines was against Saul.
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 a second time, “You shall today be my son-in-law.”
22 And Saul charged his servants, saying, Speak ye privately to David, saying, Behold, the king delights in thee, and all his servants love thee, and do thou become the king's son-in-law.
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.’”
23 And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David; and David said, [Is it] a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? whereas I [am] an humble man, and not honourable?
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?”
24 And the servants of Saul reported to him according to these words, which David spoke.
24 The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye speak to David, The king wants no gift but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to cast him into the hands of the Philistines.
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.
26 And the servants of Saul report these words to David, and David was well pleased to become the son-in-law to the king.
26 When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline,
27 And David arose, and went, he and his men, and smote among the Philistines a hundred men: and he brought their foreskins, and he becomes the king's son-in-law, and [Saul] gives him Melchol his daughter to wife.
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.
28 And Saul saw that the Lord [was] with David, and [that] all Israel loved him.
28 Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
29 And he was yet more afraid of David.
29 Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually. 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.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 6 Judges 11:34; Exodus 15:20; Psalm 68:25; Jeremiah 31:11–13
- 7 1 Samuel 21:11; Exodus 15:21; 1 Samuel 29:5; Psalm 24:7–8
- 8 1 Samuel 15:28; Proverbs 13:10; Esther 3:5; James 4:5; 1 Samuel 20:31
- 12 1 Samuel 18:15; 1 Samuel 18:29; 1 Samuel 16:13–14; 1 Samuel 28:15; 1 Samuel 16:18
- 13 2 Samuel 5:2; Psalm 121:8; 1 Samuel 18:16–17; 1 Samuel 22:7; 1 Samuel 8:12
- 14 Genesis 39:23; Joshua 6:27; 1 Samuel 16:18; Matthew 28:20; Genesis 39:2–3
- 15 Colossians 4:5; Daniel 6:4–5; Psalm 112:5; James 1:5; James 3:17
- 16 1 Samuel 18:5; 2 Samuel 5:2; 1 Kings 3:7; Numbers 27:17; Luke 20:19
- 20 1 Samuel 18:28
- 21 1 Samuel 18:17; Jeremiah 9:8; 1 Samuel 18:26; Exodus 10:7; 1 Samuel 19:11–12
- 22 Psalm 55:21; Psalm 36:1–3; 2 Samuel 13:28–29; Proverbs 29:12
- 23 Proverbs 14:20; Ecclesiastes 9:15–16; 1 John 3:1; Proverbs 19:6–7; Psalm 119:141
- 25 1 Samuel 14:24; 1 Samuel 18:17; Genesis 34:12; Exodus 22:16–17; Genesis 17:11–14
- 26 1 Samuel 18:21
- 27 2 Samuel 3:14; 1 Samuel 18:13; Judges 14:19
- 28 Genesis 39:3; 1 Samuel 26:25; Revelation 3:9; 1 Samuel 24:20; Genesis 37:8–11
- 29 Ecclesiastes 4:4; 1 John 3:12–15; James 2:19; 1 Samuel 18:12; Psalm 37:12–14
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For when he was Saul, his name was derived from Saul: now Saul was a proud king; and in his reign he persecuted the humble David. So when he who was afterwards Paul, was Saul, he was proud, at that time a persecutor of the innocent, at that time a waster of the Church.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)