Chapter Eighteen
David and Jonathan’s Friendship
Like the last four verses in chapter seventeen, these first five verses cannot be found in the Septuagint, and in similar fashion have also been interpreted in a variety of ways.
18:1 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
When David finished talking, we read that Jonathan’s soul was knit (Hebrew niq·šerā(h)’, to bind) to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him, this same phrase is used to describe Jacob’s love for his son Benjamin (see Genesis 44:30). This is not a reference to a romantic love, and this verse should never be used to support any homosexual viewpoint. David was loved by many including Saul (see 1 Samuel 16:21), all of Israel and Judah (see 1 Samuel 18:6), Saul’s servants (see 1 Samuel 18:22), as well as Saul’s daughter (see 1 Samuel 18:20, 28). Jonathan who was older than David (potentially 5-25 years older), but seeing and hearing how David had a faith like his in God, they became close friends.
18:2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.
Killing Goliath in such a dramatic way made David an “overnight hero.” His celebrity status was something that Saul wanted to take advantage of, so he made David part of his house, and would not let him return home.
18:3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
Jonathan made a covenant with David, a formal agreement, we are not informed as to what they mutually agreed on. Some speculate that Jonathan knew that David was anointed by Samuel to be the next king, and that Jonathan being a faithful follower of YHWH agreed not to interfere, as he would be in the next in line to be the king if something happened to Saul. Which would align well with him encouraging him to be a full-fledged military man. And seeing that David was indeed a kindred warrior, he stripped himself of his robe and gave it to David along with his armor, sword, bow, and his belt. Jonathan may have understood that the Holy Spirit was on David, like how He once was on his father.
18:5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
This verse is considered a proleptic verse, a literary device that presents or assumes a future event or action as if it had already occurred or the results already exists (click here to read more about literary devices in the Bible). David was successful in every military campaign that Saul sent him on and at some point he promoted David to being the commander over his army replacing Abner.
Saul Becomes Jealous of David
18:6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
The battle after Goliath was killed is not well documented, we do know that many Philistines were killed and wounded, but we do not know any numbers. In celebration of the victory over the Philistines, we read that women came out of all the cities of Israel and dancing to meet the king as he apparently sponsored a parade from city to city announcing the victory. The women came up with a simple ditty to sing, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
18:8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on.
But when Saul heard the song, he became jealous of David because the song ascribed David killing tens of thousands and Saul only thousands. Likely not even determined, the ratio between those he struck down versus David’s count made him think that David was out to take the kingdom away from Saul. From that moment on Saul watched David carefully.
18:10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.
The next day the harmful spirit came upon Saul and he raved (Hebrew yiṯ·nǎb·bē(’)’, played the prophet, the root meaning is to prophesy) in his house while David played the lyre, as he did everyday. Angered over the wording of the celebratory song sung by the women combined by the torment of the harmful spirit, Saul hurls a spear at David, but David was able move out of the way each time.
18:12 Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
Saul became afraid of David because he knew that YHWH was with David and he also knew that the Spirit had left him. At this time Saul determines that he needs to eliminate David. He first removes him from his presence and made him a commander in his army, but he excelled in every assignment as YHWH was with him. The people and Saul saw how successful David was, so now Saul stood in fearful awe of him. A true dilemma, David was successful in winning battles for the kingdom and both Israel and Judah loved David, but Saul feared him.
Considerations
A Little Ditty Sparked a Major Conflagration
The one-verse song from verse seven struck a jealous nerve in Saul, knowing that the Holy Spirit was no longer on Saul, and seeing how David was blessed by God, changed him into a man driven by hate, jealousy, and envy. This perceived threat will continue to grow to the point where Saul will actively seek to kill David, who was truly loyal to Saul. He led the army on behalf of Saul, and God gave him great success, he did nothing to deserve Saul’s animosity.
Saul Offers His Daughter Merab to David
18:17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for 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.” 18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan 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 for a wife.
Saul devises a plan to eliminate David by offering his oldest daughter Merab to him in marriage. Even though he promised that whoever killed Goliath he would give his daughter to them to marry (see 1 Samuel 17:25), Saul knew that David would not be able to pay the required dowry and would need to pay him by fighting the Philistines, who could potentially kill David. A brilliant plan as he would not be directly involved, and due to David’s popularity with the people if Saul were to kill David it may result in an insurrection or worse.
But David humbly replied, “who am I, look at my life, look at my family, and now you’re suggesting that he become a son-in-law to the king?” David did not refuse the offer, but did defuse Saul’s plot to kill him, for the moment. When it was time for Merab to be given to David, Saul instead gave her to Adriel the Meholathite (possible reference to Abel-meholah a city east of the Jordan River in Gilead, see Joshua 7:23). The text does not tell us if David refused to get married or if Saul changed his mind regarding Merab.
David Marries Saul's Daughter Michal
18:20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
Saul hears that his daughter Michal loved David, and so he returns to the idea to let the Philistines take care of eliminating David, a thought that pleased Saul.
18:21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.”
Saul approaches David again saying, “You shall now be my son-in-law,” however, we are not told how David reacted, some believe that this was something that Saul was thinking and never expressed it out loud.
18:22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”
Saul command his servants to speak to David and tell him that the king delights in him and that all of Saul’s servants love him, and that he should become the king’s son-in-law.
18:23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?”
The servants did as Saul instructed them to do and spoke to David. He responded, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?” (1 Samuel 18:23b, NLT) Essentially the same reason why the first marriage proposal to Merab didn’t work.
18:24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.” 25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
The servants report back to Saul what David said, and so Saul comes up with a rather unusual bride-price, one hundred foreskins of the Philistines. Obviously this would not be obtained through the normal circumcision process, the Philistine would need to be killed first followed by a post-mortem ’surgery’, but would provide a way to count. Saul again thought that David would be killed by the hands of the Philistines, thus solving his problem.
18:26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.
When David heard that Saul was willing to accept one hundred Philistine foreskins as a dowry to marry Michal, he was delighted. We are told that he had a time frame to accomplish this task, we are not told how much time or why the stipulation was made, it is interesting that the Septuagint does not have this clause. David went, along with his men, and killed two hundred Philistines and he brought the entire amount back to Saul, who then gave David his daughter Michal to marry.
18:28 But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
Saul could see that YHWH was truly with David, and that Michal loved him, making him even more afraid of David. The author tells us that from that point on, Saul remained David’s enemy.
18:30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
Whenever the men of Israel fought the Philistines, David had more success than all of the other commanders and men of Saul’s army. Making his popularity grow even more.