Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 18:17
And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
17. Merab ] = Increase. Saul offered her to David in fulfilment of his promise (1Sa 17:25). In return for this honour Saul expects him to fight his battles, treacherously hoping that he may fall by the hand of the Philistines.
the Lord’s battles ] Israel’s wars were “the wars of Jehovah,” because they were undertaken for the defence and establishment of His Kingdom, and His aid might be claimed in waging them. Cp. ch. 1Sa 25:28; Num 21:14 David expresses the same idea in 1Sa 17:36; 1Sa 17:47.
Saul said ] i.e. thought, as above in 1Sa 18:11, 1Sa 16:6, &c. To such cowardly and treacherous hypocrisy has jealousy reduced the once brave and generous soldier!
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
17 19. Saul’s treacherous offer of his daughter Merab to David
17 19 This section and the clause of 1Sa 18:21 which refers to it are omitted in the Sept. (B). See Note VI. p. 241.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Saul had not hitherto fulfilled the promise of which David had heard (marginal reference); nor was it unnatural that Saul should delay to do so, until the shepherds boy had risen to a higher rank.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Sa 18:17
Fight the Lords battles.
Aggressive work
The history of the human race is one of progress. Divine revelation has moved accordingly. The character of David is a sore problem to the narrow observer, because he who killed his tens of thousands drew his courage from a Divine fountain. The blame is thrown upon the fountain. A much more elastic view must be taken, and the physical regarded as the basilar of the moral, as the flint hammer of Spiennes was the forerunner of the steam hammer of today. The prowess which slew the giant of Philistia has developed into a moral force which crushes tyranny, slavery, ignorance, and irreligion. As Saul said to David, Fight the battles of the Lord, so saith the Spirit, to the Christian Church. The weapons of our warfare differ, and the condition of our courage is not identical. The noble and disinterested Christian has taken the place of the lion-hearted warrior. There must be a determined opposition to every evil, and the war must be carried into the enemys camp. When the enormous crimes of today are taken out of the calendar, and society so far regenerated that all shall know the Lord, then, and not till then, may the Church lay aside the weapons of war, to enjoy the spoils, the dance, and the timbrel. The conditions of power and efficiency which the Church needs in order to aggressive work. The test question of the late Carlyle to persons seeking his influence was, What work are you doing? He measured mens capacities for that, which they sought by that which they had accomplished. The fact that the followers of Jesus wield an enormous influence, and are doing a grand work at the present time, encourages the belief that they will yet do more. To extend that influence, and multiply actions, two things are needed, viz., the dedication of all learning, talent, riches, power, and time, which the Church possesses, to the service of Christ and man; and then the energising of all these resources by the Spirit of God, that they may become Divine forces in the salvation of the world. It is needless to say that this has not been done to the extent required.
1. There must be a deeper sense of the responsibility of the situation. The Masters injunction is, Occupy till I come. See how it is acted upon in other spheres–the captain on the bridge, the soldier on the battlefield, the premier at the helm of the state, the merchant in the counting house, the scientist in his laboratory, the artist, before the canvas, the musician at the organ, the poet in his study, as well as the husbandman and the workman in their spheres of labour. They all occupy very earnestly their stations. Christians are the dramatis personae who take the stage to show the love of God in Christ Jesus. Time and eternity alike demand the white heat of that earnestness which sacrifices all in order to save come.
2. There must be a stronger faith in the weapons of our warfare. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. In the hand of faith the sword becomes omnipotent. (T. Davies, M. A.)
War! War! War!
I. The Lords battles, what are they?
1. The Lords battle is first of all with sin. Seek grace to fight that battle in your own heart. Endeavour by Divine grace to overcome those propensities which continually push you towards iniquity. On your knees wrestle against your besetting sins. As habits appear endeavour to break them by the battleaxe of strong resolution wielded by the arm of faith. Put down pride, and sloth, and lust, and unbelief, and you have now a battle before you which may fill your hands, and more than fill them. And while this battle is being fought, ay, and while it is still fighting, go out and fight with other mens sins. Smite them first with the weapon of holy example. Be yourselves what you would have others be; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Be yourselves clean ere ye can hope to be the purifiers of the world. Let your testimony be unflinching; never let a sin pass under your eye without rebuke. Go ye forth where sin is the most rampant. Go down the dark alley; climb the creaking staircase; penetrate the dens of iniquity.
2. And even so must we cry against error. It is the preachers business to preach the whole gospel of God, and to vindicate the truth as it is in Jesus from the opposition of man. Thousands are the heresies which now beset the church. O children of God! fight the Lords battles for truth. I am astonished, and yet more astonished when I come to turn it over, at the want of earnestness that there is in the Protestantism of the present age.
3. And yet again, it is the Christians duty always to have war with war. To have bitterness in our hearts against any man that lives is to serve Satan. We must speak very sternly against error, and against sin; but against men we have not a word to say. With men the Christian is one. Are we not every mans brother? God hath made of one flesh all people that dwell upon the face of the earth. The cause of Christ is the cause of humanity. We are friends to all, and are enemies to none.
II. The Lords soldiers: who are they that are to fight the Lords battles? Not everybody. The Lord has His army, His church: who are they? The Lords soldiers are all of His own choosing. He has chosen them out of the world; and they are not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world.
III. The exhortation. Fight the Lords battles. If you are the soldier of the heavenly King, To arms! to arms! And now, I will read you over the code martial–the rules which Christ, the Captain, would have you obey in fighting His battles.
Regulation
I.
No communication nor union with the enemy! No truce, no league, no treaty, are you to make with the enemies of Christ.
Regulation
II.–No quarter to be given or taken! Have nought to do with its pretended friendship. Ask nothing at its hands; let it be crucified to you, and you to it.
Regulation
III.–No weapons or ammunition taken from the enemy are to be used by Immanuels soldiers, but are to be utterly burned with fire!
Regulation
IV.–No fear, trembling, or cowardice! Fear not. Remember, if any man be ashamed of Christ in this generation, of him will Christ be ashamed in the day when He comes in the glory of His Father and all His holy angels.
Regulation
V.–No slumbering, rest, ease, or surrender! Be always at it, all at it, constantly at it, with all your might at it. No rest. I see sometimes the captains marching their soldiers to and fro, and you may laugh and say they are doing nothing; but mark, all that manoeuvring, that forming into square, and so forth, has its practical effect when they come into the field of battle. Suffer me, then, to put the Christian through his postures.
1. The first posture the Christian ought to take, and in which he ought to be very well practised, is this. Down upon both knees, hands up, and eyes up to Heaven!
2. The next posture is: Feet fast, hands still, and eyes up! A hard posture that, though it looks very easy.
3. Another posture is this: Quick march, continually going onward! Ah! there are some Christians who are constantly sleeping on their guns; but they do not understand the posture of going onward. Quick march!
4. Another posture is one that is very hard to learn indeed. It is what no soldier, I think, was ever told to do by his captain, except the soldier of Christ: Eyes shut, and ears shut, and heart shut! That is when you go through Vanity Fair.
5. And then there is another posture: Feet firm, sword in hand, eyes open; looking at your enemy, watching every feint that he makes, and watching too your opportunity to let fly at him, sword in hand! That posture you must maintain every day.
6. There is one other posture, which is a very happy one for the child of God to take up and I would have you remember today. Hands wide open, and heart wide open, when you are helping your brethren.
7. Above all, the best posture for Christs Church is that of patient waiting for the advent of Christ, a looking forward for His glorious appearance, Who must come and will not tarry, but Who will get unto Himself the victory. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. Fight the Lord’s battles.] Mr. Calmet properly remarks that the wars of the Hebrews, while conducted by the express orders of God, were truly the wars of the Lord; but when the spirit of worldly ambition and domination became mingled with them, they were no longer the wars of the Lord, but wars of lust and profanity.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Her will I give thee to wife: this was no more than Saul was obliged to do by his former promise, 1Sa 17:25, which here he renews and pretends to perform, though he intended nothing less, as the sequel shows; whereby he makes himself guilty of ingratitude, injustice, and breach of trust, and withal of gross hypocrisy.
Let the hand of the Philistines be upon him; he thought so great an offer would oblige him, who was of himself valiant enough to give proofs of more than common valour, and to venture upon the most dangerous enterprises.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. Saul said to David, Behold myelder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wifeThough boundto this already [1Sa 17:25], hehad found it convenient to forget his former promise. He now holds itout as a new offer, which would tempt David to give additional proofsof his valor. But the fickle and perfidious monarch broke his pledgeat the time when the marriage was on the eve of being celebrated, andbestowed Merab on another man (see on 2Sa21:8); an indignity as well as a wrong, which was calculateddeeply to wound the feelings and provoke the resentment of David.Perhaps it was intended to do so, that advantage might be taken ofhis indiscretion. But David was preserved from this snare.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Saul said to David,…. Not in friendship and good will to him, but designing to lay a snare for him:
behold, my eldest daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; most interpreters understand it, that he was obliged to this by promise, on account of David’s slaying Goliath, 1Sa 17:25; but Abarbinel is of another mind, and he rightly observes, that the words referred to are not the words of Saul, but of the men of Israel, who might suppose what the king would do; or if they heard anything like it spoken by Saul, it was only in a hyperbolical way, signifying he did not care what he gave, and what he parted with, to the man that killed the Philistine, but was not strictly bound to this particular thereby; nor did David ever claim such promise, nor did Saul think himself bound to do it, but proposes it as an instance of his great kindness and favour, as he pretended, and therefore expected great returns for it, as follows:
only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles: he knew he was a valiant man, and ready enough to fight; but he expected that in consideration of such a favour, and such high honour as this, that he would exert himself in an extraordinary manner, and engage in hazardous attempts, and show himself worthy to be the son of a king, in the defence of him and of his country, and for the glory of the God of Israel; all this he suggests, when his view was, that he should expose his life to such danger, that it might be hoped it would be taken away:
for Saul said; not openly and verbally, but in his heart; he thought within himself,
let not mine hand be upon him; he had attempted to lay hands on him, or to kill him with his own hands, but now he thought better, and consulted his credit among the people:
but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him; he hoped by these means that he would fall by their hands at the head of his troop, while he was displaying his valour, and hazarding his life for the good of his king and country; what Saul contrived proved his own case, he died in battle with the Philistines, 1Sa 31:4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Craftiness of Saul in the betrothal of his daughters to David. – 1Sa 18:17. As Saul had promised to give his daughter for a wife to the conqueror of Goliath (1Sa 17:25), he felt obliged, by the growing love and attachment of the people to David, to fulfil this promise, and told him that he was ready to do so, with the hope of finding in this some means of destroying David. He therefore offered him his elder daughter Merab with words that sounded friendly and kind: “ Only be a brave man to me, and wage the wars of the Lord.” He called the wars with the Philistines “ wars of Jehovah,” i.e., wars for the maintenance and defence of the kingdom of God, to conceal his own cunning design, and make David feel all the more sure that the king’s heart was only set upon the welfare of the kingdom of God. Whoever waged the wars of the Lord might also hope for the help of the Lord. But Saul had intentions of a very different kind. He thought (“ said,” sc., to himself), “ My hand shall not be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him;” i.e., I will not put him to death; the Philistines may do that. When Saul’s reason had returned, he shrank from laying hands upon David again, as he had done before in a fit of madness. He therefore hoped to destroy him through the medium of the Philistines.
1Sa 18:18 But David replied with true humility, without suspecting the craftiness of Saul: “ Who am I, and what is my condition in life, my father’s family in Israel, that I should become son-in-law to the king? ” is a difficult expression, and has been translated in different ways, as the meaning which suggests itself first (viz., “ what is my life ”) is neither reconcilable with the (the interrogative personal pronoun), nor suitable to the context. Gesenius ( Thes. p. 471) and Bttcher give the meaning “ people ” for , and Ewald ( Gramm. 179, b.) the meaning “ family.” But neither of these meanings can be established. seems evidently to signify the condition in life, the relation in which a person stands to others, and is to be explained on the ground that David referred to the persons who formed the class to which he belonged. “ My father’s family ” includes all his relations. David’s meaning was, that neither on personal grounds, nor on account of his social standing, nor because of his lineage, could he make the slightest pretension to the honour of becoming the son-in-law of the king.
1Sa 18:19 But Saul did not keep his promise. When the time arrived for its fulfilment, he gave his daughter to Adriel the Meholathite, a man of whom nothing further is known.
(Note: 1Sa 18:17-19 are omitted from the Septuagint version; but they are so, no doubt, only because Saul’s first promise was without result so far as David was concerned.)
1Sa 18:20-21 Michal is married to David. – The pretext under which Saul broke his promise is not given, but it appears to have been, at any rate in part, that Merab had no love to David. This may be inferred from 1Sa 18:17, 1Sa 18:18, compared with 1Sa 18:20. Michal, the younger daughter of Saul, loved David. When Saul was told this, the thing was quite right in his eyes. He said, “ I will give her to him, that she may become a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may come upon him ” (sc., if he tries to get the price which I shall require a dowry; cf. 1Sa 18:25). He therefore said to David, “ In a second way ( , as in Job 33:14) shalt thou become my son-in-law.” Saul said this casually to David; but he made no reply, because he had found out the fickleness of Saul, and therefore put no further trust in his words.
1Sa 18:22 Saul therefore employed his courtiers to persuade David to accept his offer. In this way we may reconcile in a very simple manner the apparent discrepancy, that Saul is said to have offered his daughter to David himself, and yet he commissioned his servants to talk to David privately of the king’s willingness to give him his daughter. The omission of 1Sa 18:21 in the Septuagint is to be explained partly from the fact that points back to 1Sa 18:17-19, which are wanting in this version, and partly also in all probability from the idea entertained by the translators that the statement itself is at variance with 1Sa 18:22. The courtiers were to talk to David , “ in private,” i.e., as though they were doing it behind the king’s back.
1Sa 18:23 David replied to the courtiers, “ Does it seem to you a little thing to become son-in-law to the king, seeing that I am a poor and humble man? ” “ Poor,” i.e., utterly unable to offer anything like a suitable dowry to the king. This reply was given by David in perfect sincerity, since he could not possibly suppose that the king would give him his daughter without a considerable marriage portion.
1Sa 18:24-25 When this answer was reported to the king, he sent word through his courtiers what the price was for which he would give him his daughter. He required no dowry (see at Gen 34:12), but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, i.e., the slaughter of a hundred Philistines, and the proof that this had been done, to avenge himself upon the enemies of the king; whereas, as the writer observes, Saul supposed that he should thus cause David to fall, i.e., bring about his death by the hand of the Philistines.
1Sa 18:26-27 But David was satisfied with Saul’s demand, since he had no suspicion of his craftiness, and loved Michal. Even before the days were full, i.e., before the time appointed for the delivery of the dowry and for the marriage had arrived, he rose up with his men, smote two hundred Philistines, and brought their foreskins, which were placed in their full number before the king; whereupon Saul was obliged to give him Michal his daughter to wife. The words “ and the days were not full ” (1Sa 18:26) form a circumstantial clause, which is to be connected with the following sentence, “ David arose,” etc. David delivered twice the price demanded. “ They made them full to the king,” i.e., they placed them in their full number before him.
1Sa 18:28-29 The knowledge of the fact that David had carried out all his enterprises with success had already filled the melancholy king with fear. But when the failure of this new plan for devoting David to certain death had forced the conviction upon him that Jehovah was with David, and that he was miraculously protected by Him; and when, in addition to this, there was the love of his daughter Michal to David; his fear of David grew into a lifelong enmity. Thus his evil spirit urged him ever forward to greater and greater hardness of heart.
1Sa 18:30 The occasion for the practical manifestation of this enmity was the success of David in all his engagements with the Philistines. As often as the princes of the Philistines went out (sc., to war with Israel), David acted more wisely and prosperously than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was held in great honour. With this general remark the way is prepared for the further history of Saul’s conduct towards David.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
David the Kings Son-in-law. 1Sa. 18:17-30
17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lords battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my fathers family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?
19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Sauls daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20 And Michal Sauls daughter loved David. and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law in the one of the twain.
22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the kings son-in-law,
23 And Sauls servants spake these words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kings son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the kings enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the kings son-in-law: and the days were not expired.
27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the kings son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Sauls daughter loved him.
29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became Davids enemy continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
10.
Who was Merab? 1Sa. 18:17
Merab was Sauls oldest daughter by Ahinoam, Sauls wife (1Sa. 14:50). Sauls men understood that whoever killed Goliath would become the kings son-in-law. Since Merab was his older daughter and as yet unmarried, he promised to give her to David as his wife. He asked additional service on Davids part as he entered into this covenant. He charged him to be valiant for Saul and to fight the Lords battles. Saul was not at all anxious for David to continue his valiant service, but he was hoping that if David went into battle against the Philistines, the Philistines might kill him. Saul would thereby be freed from the threat to his throne. David was humbled by this promised honor. He did not count himself worthy of being the kings son-in-law. He did not count his life to be of much effect and evidently fought the Philistines without regard for his own safety.
11.
Why was Sauls promise not kept? 1Sa. 18:19
Saul showed himself to be a very wicked king. He not only set David in positions where his life would be endangered and threatened his life on a number of occasions, but he failed to keep his word to David. A character study of Saul would reveal that he was jealous, fearful and dishonorable. He became a complexity of evil motives and deeds. When it was time that he should be married to Merab, Saul betrayed him and gave Merab to be the wife of Adriel, a Meholathite.
12.
Who was Michal? 1Sa. 18:20
Michal was Sauls younger daughter. Her mother was also Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz (1Sa. 14:50). Michal loved David, and this information was brought to Saul. He saw in Michals association with David an opportunity to lay a snare for David. He proposed that David would be his son-in-law by marrying Michal, but he demanded a dowry of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. The servants of Saul were sent to find out Davids reaction to such a proposal. Davil felt that he was being mocked by the king and said, seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kings son-in-law (1Sa. 18:23). He evidently believed that Saul was toying with him, and he did not think it was a laughing matter. In other words, David took the proposal seriously and was willing to do whatever was honorable to be given the hand of Michal in marriage.
13.
Why did Saul demand the foreskins of David? 1Sa. 18:25
Jacob worked for seven years in order to receive the hand of Rachel in marriage (Gen. 29:28). Saul demanded a very unusual dowry from David in the form of 100 foreskins of the Philistines. Hardly any personal advantage came to Saul by demanding such a dowry. He was evidently trying to place David in such a dangerous situation that David could not escape. If David went out to kill one hundred Philistines and one of them killed him, then Saul would have removed this constant source of aggravation. Once again David showed himself willing to give more than could be expected of him. He not only killed a hundred Philistines, but doubled the number. He killed two hundred men and brought their foreskins to Saul.
14.
What is the meaning of the phrase, in full tale? 1Sa. 18:27
There was no lack of any in the total of two hundred foreskins. The number was not one hundred ninety-nine, It was a full two hundred, just twice as many as Saul had demanded. This phrase is an old English phrase from which we sometimes get the expression, all told. We may make reference to there being two hundred people, all told, at some kind of meeting. This expression has persisted in our language from the old English way of saying that a number was fully counted.
15.
Why did the princes of the Philistines go forth? 1Sa. 18:30
The princes of the Philistines probably went out to avenge the killing of two hundred of their men by David as he satisfied the beastly whim of king Saul. They went forth to battle against the Israelites as they probably did on a number of occasions. David behaved himself wisely as ever. His behavior was better than that of any of the other servants of Saul so that his reputation grew better and better. His reputation even spread into Philistia, and all the Israelites came to depend upon him greatly, The Philistines feared him as a mighty man of war, and the Israelites looked to him as a champion of their cause.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(17) Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife.This was but the fulfilment of a much earlier promise. The king had said he would give his daughter in marriage to the hero who should slay the Philistine giant champion. For one cause or other he had declined, or at least postponed, the carrying out of his pledge; and the dark thought crossed his mind, Could he not endanger the hated life, while seeming to wish to keep the old promise? He speaks of the Philistine war as the Lords battles. This was a feeling which inspired every patriotic Israelite. He was, when fighting with the idolatrous nations, warring for the Lordso David felt when he spoke of the Philistine giant as having defied the ranks of the living God, and alluded to the battle as the Lords (1Sa. 17:26; 1Sa. 17:47). The same idea is expressed in the title of that most ancient collection of songs which has not been preserved to usBook of the Wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. My elder daughter Perceiving the growing popularity and influence of David, Saul feels under obligation to redeem his promise, recorded 1Sa 17:25.
Let not mine hand be upon him In his calmer moods, when his madness had departed, he shrunk from openly attempting to destroy David; but, disguising his fell purpose under fair pretentious, he darkly plotted against his life.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Bound By His Promise Saul Seeks To Fulfil It By Giving One Of His Daughter’s To David To Be His Wife ( 1Sa 18:17-27 ).
Saul had publicly promised that to the victor over Goliath he would give him one of his daughters to be his wife (1Sa 17:25), and it was thus not a promise that he could avoid facing up to. But of course David was still young, which may help to explain the course of events which follow. He may not have wanted to be saddled with a wife who was not of his choosing. On the other hand you did not tell the king that. Thus there appears to have been some prevarication taking place, which was not necessarily all Saul’s fault.
1Sa 18:17
‘ And Saul said to David, “See, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you for a wife, only be you valiant for me, and fight YHWH’s battles.” For Saul said, “Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.’
Saul now approached David about the promise that he had made to give his daughter as wife to the man who slew Goliath, and accordingly offered him his eldest daughter as his wife, in return for his loyalty and true service, both towards him and towards YHWH. Outwardly he was fulfilling his promise. But we learn that underneath Saul was still hoping that David would be slain by the Philistines. He would become a special target once he was the king’s son-in-law.
1Sa 18:18
‘ And 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?” ’
David replies with a show of humility which what follows points to as containing some truth in it. He really does appear to have felt that he was not worthy to be connected with the royal family, and indeed could not afford it. (It was now many years since Saul himself had been’ ‘ordinary’, and it had been before David’s time). On the other hand this expression of humility by David could have been a polite acceptance, for it was quite normal to accept such offers with such an act of humility, but if that was so, it is then difficult to understand why the marriage did not go through, or why he accepted Michal later on different terms. In context, therefore, it is more probable that David was simply here politely indicating that he would prefer not to accept the offer. This could have been for a number of reasons:
1). Because he genuinely did not feel that he was worthy of the offer (compare1Sa 18:22).
2). Because he genuinely thought that he could not afford to pay the necessary dowry. This would help to explain Saul’s later offer (compare1Sa 18:25).
3). Because he knew that Merab looked down on him as a mere commoner. This would help to explain why Saul was so pleased when he found out that Michal loved David. She would therefore not be seen by David as looking down on him.
What David said would certainly have been said in such a way that both parties knew what the situation was. There was a way of doing these things which would have been familiar at the time. Thus Saul would have immediately recognised that David was not happy at the thought of marrying Merab. Of course had he insisted David would have had no option but to accept, but what happened subsequently does suggest that Saul took the hint and recognised that David did not want to marry Merab, whether through humility, size of dowry or some other reason, and did not want to press it.
1Sa 18:19
‘ And it came about that, at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife.’
Thus at the time when she would have been expected to marry David, Merab was married to someone else. That was probably in order to prevent her from being shamed by the situation. Everyone would have been anticipating her marriage to the hero of Israel, and her marriage to Adriel would make it clear to all that that was not what had been intended, and that she had already previously been committed. It would leave Saul to be able to fulfil his promise in another way. As the eldest daughter Merab inevitably had to be married before another daughter could be offered to David (compare Gen 29:26). It is not really likely that Saul deliberately snubbed David. That would have brought Saul into disrepute.
1Sa 18:20
‘ And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.’
Then news that his other daughter, Michal, loved David was brought to Saul, and Saul was delighted, for he saw in this the opportunity to fulfil his promise and at the same time to entrap David. (We must remember that he was not thinking normally). Marriage to Michal might be more acceptable to David because for one thing the younger daughter would not be expected to receive so great a dowry as the elder. For another her love for David would also mean that Michal would not be seen as disdaining marriage to him as a commoner. The mention of this does suggest that that may have been one problem between David and Merab
1Sa 18:21
‘ And Saul said, “I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Which is the reason why Saul said to David, “You shall this day be my son-in-law” a second time.’
But Saul’s reasoning was not straightforward. Indeed it was treacherous. His plan was that by giving his daughter to David and binding him to him in service, he could then send him out on the most dangerous assignments, as his son-in-law, while the Philistines would also especially be eager to kill him because of whom he now was. It would thus put him in great danger. This then was why he said to David a second time, ‘You shall this day be my son-in-law.’ The only problem now was how to persuade David to accept the offered privilege.
1Sa 18:22
‘ And Saul commanded his servants, saying, “Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you, now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.”’
With this in mind Saul privately told his servants to have a quiet word in David’s ear and tell him that the king delighted in him, and that all Saul’s servants loved him, and that he should therefore be willing to become Saul’s son-in-law, because everyone important was in agreement about it.
1Sa 18:23
‘ And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?”
But David continued to point out that he was only a poor man and not one who held high position or was greatly esteemed. He genuinely did not see becoming Saul’s son-in-law as a real possibility. He had too high a regard for Saul, and he also did not feel that he could afford the dowry that would be required, or live up to what would then be expected of him.
1Sa 18:24
‘ And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this way spoke David.” ’
Saul’s servants then informed Saul of what David had said, which set Saul to thinking the problem over.
1Sa 18:25
‘ And Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, The king does not want any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.’
Then Saul had an inspiration. He told them to tell David that the only dowry that he would require would be a hundred foreskins of (dead) Philistines so that the king might be avenged of his enemies. He did this in the hope that David might be killed by the Philistines as he sought to obtain them.
We may cringe a little at the idea of warriors taking the foreskins of their enemy, but some kind of physical proof had to be brought back in order to demonstrate that the one hundred who had been killed were Philistines. As Philistines were the only uncircumcised people around this would be proof that the hundred who had been killed really were Philistines. Saul may also have been associating the foreskins with what would result from their presentation to him. They represented the future productivity of David’s house as contrasted with the fact that no more Philistine warriors would be produced by these Philistines, and may even have been seen as contributing towards that end. They would thus be seen as a very suitable ‘wedding gift’ in those raunchier days.
1Sa 18:26-27
‘ And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. And the days were not expired, and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.’
Once he recognised that all barriers to being the king’s son-in-law could be solved David was well pleased and decided that it was a very worthwhile idea. And as the period in which he had had to make his decision about Michal had not expired he arose and took his men and killed two hundred Philistine warriors, and brought their foreskins to Saul and thereby presented him with double the dowry which was required for becoming the king’s son-in-law. (Thereby indicating his high esteem for Saul). And Saul then, in accordance with what he had promised, gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.
All now appeared rosy on the outside, and David had by this leaped from being a commander of a military unit to being the king’s son-in-law, thereby gaining at least a foothold on the path to the throne, although that was certainly not Saul’s intention.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Saul Plans to have David Removed
v. 17. And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife, v. 18. And David said unto Saul, v. 19. But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David that she was given unto Adriel, the Meholathite, to wife. v. 20. And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him, v. 21. And Saul said, I will give him her that she may be a snare to him, v. 22. And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, v. 23. And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David, v. 24. And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David, v. 25. And Saul said, v. 26. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law, v. 27. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, v. 28. And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, v. 29. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, v. 30. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
(17) And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. (18) And David said unto 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 it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
This, in fact, was the original promise made by Saul to any man that should be found to kill Goliath. It was a breach of that promise it had not been done before. But it should seem that David’s modesty had never demanded it. The giving his eldest daughter to another, was no doubt intended by Saul to displease David. But we find no resentment on David’s part. Here, surely, David leads us to consider His unequalled patience, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 18:17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
Ver. 17. Behold mine elder daughter Merab. ] She was due to him before by promise, for killing Goliath; yet he that twice inquired into the reward of that enterprise before he undertook it, never demanded it after that achievement. Now, no remedy but he must be a son, where he was a rival. Love is pretended, but mischief purposed. So dealt Herod, Domitian, Charles IX.
Let not mine hand be upon him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
valiant. Hebrew son of valour.
Let not mine hand, &c. Compare David and Uriah. 2Sa 11:15.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
her will I give: 1Sa 17:25, Psa 12:2, Psa 55:21
valiant: Heb. a son of valour
the Lord’s: 1Sa 17:47, 1Sa 25:28, Num 32:20, Num 32:27, Num 32:29
Let not mine: 1Sa 18:21, 1Sa 18:25, Deu 17:7, 2Sa 11:15, 2Sa 12:9
Reciprocal: Gen 29:30 – served Gen 37:27 – let not Jdg 5:23 – to the help 1Sa 17:31 – sent for him 1Sa 18:13 – removed 2Sa 17:10 – thy father 1Ch 5:18 – valiant men Psa 12:8 – when Psa 35:8 – into Psa 56:5 – all Pro 26:26 – Whose hatred is covered by deceit
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 18:17. And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, &c. He at last bethinks himself of the promise he had publicly made unto him that should kill Goliath; the performance of which David did not demand, but in modesty left it to Sauls own conscience; who now judges it would be a proper bait to be laid for his destruction. David had been very successful; but it did not follow that he must always be so; he had prudence, prowess, and conduct; but all these are often disappointed and defeated in their best-laid schemes. What means, then, so likely to destroy him as flattering him in his good fortune, and inflaming his vanity to yet higher and bolder attempts? What human heart is proof against flattery well conducted? and what so likely to point it right as the prospect of the kings alliance? Merab, therefore, the kings eldest daughter, is promised to him in marriage, on condition of his exerting all his fortitude in the defence of his master and his country, against the enemies of God and them. Delaney. Only be thou valiant for me Thus, at the same time that he proposed to give David his daughter, he intimated that he should first perform some other military exploits, and, to give the better colour to this request, he calls it fighting the Lords battles. Let not my hand be upon him Now he seems to have some sense of honour, and to lay aside those base thoughts of murdering him himself. But the hand of the Philistines By whose hand Gods just judgment so ordered things that Saul himself fell!
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and {g} fight the LORD’S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
(g) Fight against them that war against God’s people.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Saul’s indirect attempts to kill David 18:17-30
Since he had been unsuccessful in murdering David himself, Saul also tried to get other people to kill him (cf. 2Sa 11:15). Saul had promised his daughter in marriage to Goliath’s victor (1Sa 17:25). In spite of this, Saul now added the condition that David also had to fight more battles for his king. David, on the other hand, did not aspire to marry the king’s daughter even though such a marriage would have advanced his career greatly (1Sa 18:18; cf. 1Sa 16:18). He evidently dismissed this possibility since he could not afford the dowry (bridal price, 1Sa 18:23). Saul went back on his promise to give David his older daughter, Merab, anyway (1Sa 18:19; cf. Jdg 14:20 to Jdg 15:2).
Michal, like her brother Jonathan, had come to love David (1Sa 18:20). Evidently Saul meant that Michal would become a snare to David (1Sa 18:21) because as the son-in-law of the king David would have been in line for the throne. This would have made David an even more important target for the Philistines in battle. This time Saul tried to break down David’s humble resistance to becoming his son-in-law by sending servants (courtiers, leading men of the kingdom) to persuade him. They assured David that his lack of wealth would not be a problem. Normally grooms paid their prospective fathers-in-law a price to compensate for the loss of their daughter. [Note: See Edwin Yamauchi, "Cultural Aspects of Marriage in the Ancient World," Bibliotheca Sacra 135:539 (July-September 1978):244.] But Saul was willing to take 100 uncircumcised Philistine foreskins instead. He probably thought that David would respond to the challenge and perhaps die in the encounter with the Philistines. Saul used Michal as the bait to lure David into what he thought would be a fatal encounter with the Philistines.
God protected David, however, and he was able to provide the king with twice as many foreskins as Saul had specified (1Sa 18:27). David’s accomplishment was similar to scalping practices in the Indian wars in the United States. This time Saul gave David his daughter. [Note: For a study of four important women in David’s life, see Adele Berlin, "Characterization in Biblical Narrative: David’s Wives," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 23 (July 1982):69-85.] Saul saw in these events evidence that Yahweh’s blessing was with David (1Sa 18:28), and this made him even more fearful of him (1Sa 18:29). Ironically, Saul from then on became David’s enemy continually (1Sa 18:29), even though David had become his son-in-law, as well as his faithful commander-in-chief and his effective field general. By setting himself against David, Saul was setting himself against God since David was the Lord’s anointed (cf. Gen 12:3).
"Saul’s playing the part of a latter-day Laban (cf. Gen 29:15-30) has rebounded upon himself, for now a second member of his own family has made her special contribution to the theme ’all Israel and Judah loved David’ (1Sa 18:16)." [Note: Gordon, p. 162.]
David’s behavior and wisdom in battle, guided and provided by God’s Spirit, caused him to become increasingly effective and appreciated in Israel (1Sa 18:30). David had regarded himself as lightly esteemed (1Sa 18:23), but God made him highly esteemed (1Sa 18:30; cf. 1Sa 9:2).
Throughout this chapter the writer balanced statements that credit God for David’s successes (1Sa 18:12; 1Sa 18:14; 1Sa 18:28) with others that credit David for them (1Sa 18:5; 1Sa 18:14-15; 1Sa 18:30). Both reasons were true. God’s choice of David and David’s choice of God worked together to make him successful. The opposite was also true of Saul. The Lord had forsaken Saul, but Saul had also forsaken the Lord, and the result was tragedy.
This chapter illustrates the fact that the godly often suffer through no fault of their own. It shows too that God causes even the worst intentions of the ungodly to strengthen the godly (cf. Psa 7:12-16; Rom 8:28). We see here that the selfishness of the ungodly can produce irrational behavior (e.g., paranoia, 1Sa 18:12, and schizophrenia, 1Sa 18:11; 1Sa 18:17), and it leads to their ruin. I am not implying that this is the only cause of these mental problems. If we allow jealousy to take root in our hearts, it will devour us like a cancer. We should desire God’s glory, as Jonathan did, rather than our own glory, as Saul did.