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1 SAMUEL 18

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. The Philistines
   1. They were Aegean people probably from the island of Crete.
   2. They tried to invade Egypt around 1200 b.c. but were defeated and subsequently settled on the southwestern coast of Palestine about the time of Joshua's invasion of the land.
   3. They were the only possessors in the area of Iron Age technology.
   4. They assimilated Canaanite culture instead of importing their own, therefore, there was a rapid degree of settlement and stability.
   
   
2. Saul's Problems
   1. Saul's problems begin when he disobeys and rebels against God.
      1. 1 Sam. 13:12-13, where he offered a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel
      2. 1 Sam. 15:20-23, where he did not fulfill God's orders in killing the Amalekites
   2. The rejection of Saul and the anointing of David at Bethlehem had already occurred by 1 Samuel 18.
   3. "The evil spirit of the Lord" is an OT understanding of only one God, one source in the universe (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13-14; 19:9; Jdgs. 9:23; 2 Chr. 20:6; Eccl. 7:14; Isa. 14:24-27; 43:13; 15:7; 54:16; Jer. 18:11; Lam. 3:33-38; Amos 3:6).
   4. Saul's personality problems can be seen in his changing attitudes toward David.
      1. love, 1 Sam. 16:21
      2. anger, 1 Sam. 18:8
      3. fear, 1 Sam. 18:12
      4. awe, 1 Sam. 18:15

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:1-5
  ¹Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. ²Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. ³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. ⁵So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and 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.

18:1 "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David" This VERB (BDB 905, KB 1153, Niphal PERFECT), "was knit," was used of Jacob and Benjamin in Gen. 44:30. This strong bond of friendship is similar to Naomi and Ruth in Ruth 1:16-17.

▣ "soul. . .soul" The term nephesh (BDB 659) speaks of one's personhood or a physical life. See full note online at Gen. 35:18 and Lev. 17:11.

▣ "Jonathan loved him as himself" In 1 Sam. 20:17 it says Jonathan loved David better than his own life. In 2 Sam. 1:26 it says Jonathan loved David better than the love of a woman. Many have tried to interpret this as a homosexual relationship but this is obviously an attempt to read modern presuppositions into an ancient text. David is married in this chapter. This is just a metaphor for the deep friendship. The same idiom is used in Deut. 13:6.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HOMOSEXUALITY

▣ "Jonathan" There are two forms of this name (BDB 220).

1. 42 times ‒ יונתן
2. 79 times ‒ יהונתן

18:3 "Then Jonathan made a covenant with David" This covenant involved not only friendship and faith but apparently politics, cf. 1 Sam. 18:4; 23:17.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

18:4 "Jonathan stripped himself of the robe" This was probably a political symbol of the crown prince.

▣ "with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt" The magnitude of this gift can be seen from the fact that Saul and Jonathan were the only members of the entire Israeli army that had weapons of iron (cf. 1 Sam. 13:19,22).

18:5 "So David went out wherever Saul sent him and prospered" David became very popular

1. with the military
2. with all the people
3. in the sight of Saul's bureaucrats

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:6-9
 ⁶It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. ⁷The women sang as they played, and said,
 "Saul has slain his thousands,
 And David his ten thousands."
⁸Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" ⁹Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

18:6 "the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing" This was the common procedure for greeting returning soldiers (cf. Exod. 15:20-21; Jdgs. 11:4; Ps. 68:25; 149:3).

▣ "musical instruments" The exact type of musical instrument is unknown (BDB 1026 II). The root of the Hebrew word means "three," therefore, many have supposed that it was a triangle or three stringed instrument. This root is used only here (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 126).

18:7 "Saul has slain his thousands,
  And David his ten thousands" From this point on throughout the chapter, Saul's jealousy, immaturity, and lack of self-worth can be easily seen.

Notice how the author describes Saul's motives.

1. 1 Sam. 18:8 ‒ became very angry (jealousy)
2. 1 Sam. 18:9 ‒ looked at David with suspicion (paranoia)
3. 1 Sam. 18:10 ‒ an evil spirit. . .he raved
4. 1 Sam. 18:11 ‒ murderous plan
5. 1 Sam. 18:12 ‒ was afraid
6. 1 Sam. 18:13 ‒ removed David from court
7. 1 Sam. 18:15 ‒ dreaded David
8. 1 Sam. 18:21 ‒ wanted his daughter to become a snare to David
9. 1 Sam. 18:25 ‒ planned for David to be killed in battle by Philistines
10. 1 Sam. 18:29 ‒ Saul was continually more afraid of David

In the MT, "thousand" is SINGULAR, but Masoretic scholars suggest the PLURAL form.

18:9 "Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on" Notice it is not David's actions, but other's actions that caused Saul to begin to doubt David.

The VERB "looked" (BDB 745, KB 817, Qal PARTICIPLE) occurs only here. BDB suggests a translation as "eye enviously" or "look askance," and KB "consider suspiciously."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:10-11
  ¹⁰Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul's hand. ¹¹Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence twice.

18:10 "an evil spirit from God came upon Saul" This phrase occurs in 1 Sam. 16:13-14; 19:9; Isa. 45:7. See Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 211-212 and see my full note at 1 Sam. 16:13.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS

▣ "raved" The root (BDB 612, KB 659, Hithpael IMPERFECT with waw) is related to "prophet." The early prophets were an ecstatic group, cf. 1 Sam. 19:18-24. Raving was viewed as a spiritual state.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHETS (OT)

▣ "a spear was in Saul's hand" This (BDB 333) was a symbol of his kingship (cf. 1 Sam. 22:6)

18:11 "I will pin David to the wall" Saul intended to kill David in vv. 10 and 11, 17,21,25; 19:9-10.

The MT has the VERB (BDB 685, KB 738, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) which basically means "to turn about," so all of the English translations catch the thought.

Notice this kind of event happened twice. David was ministering to a mentally ill person, but remained!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:12-16
  ¹²Now Saul was afraid of David, for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³Therefore Saul removed him from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴David was prospering in all his ways for the Lord was with him. ¹⁵When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he dreaded him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them.

18:12 "for the Lord was with him" Saul knew YHWH had rejected him and chosen another (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13,18). He clearly saw how David "prospered" (vv. 5,14). Saul knew "the Lord was with David" (v. 28) but this caused even more fear and paranoia (v. 29).

This specific phrase is used of

1. Abraham ‒ Gen. 21:22
2. Jacob ‒ Gen. 28:15
3. Samuel ‒ 1 Sam. 3:19
4. David ‒ 1 Sam. 18:12,14; 2 Sam. 5:10
5. Hezekiah ‒ 2 Kgs. 18:8

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:17-19
  ¹⁷Then Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul thought, "My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him." ¹⁸But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be the king's son-in-law?" ¹⁹So it came about at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.

18:17-19 "Then Saul said to David, 'Here is my older daughter'" Saul had promised to whoever fought and defeated the Philistine giant he would give his daughter in marriage in 1 Sam. 17:25. However, David refused this offer in v. 18 because he simply did not have the money to pay the dowry. We learn from this text that Saul was not doing this to fulfill his promise but in order that the Philistines might kill David in battle.

18:17 "fight the Lord's battles" Notice that the enemies of Israel were the enemies of YHWH. He was their "Divine Warrior." The battles were His (cf. Num. 21:14; 1 Sam. 18:17; 25:28).

The MT has "what is my life" (BDB 311) but with a change of vocalization this can read, "who are my kin," which seems to fit the context better. The UBS Text Project supports the MT but suggests it is an ancient scribal error and supports the conjecture of "my kinfolk," but without any MSS or ancient version support (see Gesenius' Lexicon, p. 312^b).

This same sense of family humility also characterized Saul at first (cf. 1 Sam. 9:21; 15:17).

18:19 "she was given to Adriel the Meholathite" This man was from Gilead. Saul had a special relationship with the men of this area (cf. 1 Samuel 11). This was a direct attempt to humiliate David.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:20-29
  ²⁰Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable to him. ²¹Saul thought, "I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "For a second time you may be my son-in-law today." ²²Then Saul 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.'" ²³So Saul's servants spoke these words to David. But David said, "Is it trivial in your sight to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?" ²⁴The servants of Saul reported to him according to these words which David spoke. ²⁵Saul then said, "Thus you shall say to David, 'The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶When his servants told David these words, it pleased David to become the king's son-in-law. Before the days had expired ²⁷David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife. ²⁸When Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, ²⁹then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David's enemy continually.

18:20 This is a surprising verse. Why was Saul pleased knowing his daughter loved David (cf. v. 28)?

1. He saw it as a chance to manipulate David into a battle in which he would hopefully be killed (vv. 21,25).
2. To marry the oldest daughter entitled one to a special title, "son-in-law of the king," but this title would not go to the one who married a younger daughter.

The VERB (BDB 448, KB 449, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) basically means "to be smooth," "to be straight," or "to be right." Here, it is an idiom for "pleasure" (i.e., 1 Sam. 18:20,26; 2 Sam. 17:4; 1 Chr. 13:4; 2 Chr. 30:4).

18:21 "For a second time you may be my son-in-law today" This seems to be related to v. 26, "before the days had expired." There was apparently a time limit for David to provide a dowry and marry one of Saul's daughters (v. 25). However, by changing one of the consonants in the Hebrew text, this phrase can mean "within two years." Whatever the time limit imposed, it is obvious there was a time limit.

18:25 "dowry" This is the Hebrew word "mohar" (BDB 555). It appears only three times in the OT (cf. Gen. 34:12; Exod. 22:16; here) but it reflects the marriage custom of the ANE. The bride's father set the amount. For a good brief discussion see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, "Typical Israelite Marriage," pp. 26-29 and NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 859-862.

The price could be

1. money/weight of metals/valuables (the normal way)
2. service (Gen. 29:20,27-28; Exod. 2:21)
3. act of valor
   1. Caleb (Josh. 15:16-17; Jdgs. 1:12)
   2. David (1 Sam. 17:25; 18:20-27; 2 Sam. 3:14)

18:27 How would you liked to have beeen the person who extracted these "foreskins" from these dead soldiers? This gesture was

1. to prove the number of dead
2. to prove they were Philistines

18:28 This verse should have made Saul happy, but no, just the opposite (cf. v. 29).

The LXX (RSV) has "that all Israel loved him" (NJB). The UBS Text Project supports the MT ("Saul's daughter loved him") with a "B" rating (some doubt).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 18:30
  ³⁰Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed.

18:30 This is a summary statement of how everyone knew YHWH was with David. David's reputation grew!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What does 1 Sam. 18:1 mean?
2. What is the significance of Jonathan's gifts to David (v. 4)?
3. Where in this chapter do we see Saul's mental illness?
4. What is the "evil spirit of the Lord"? Does the "good" and "holy" YHWH have an "evil spirit" that He sends to people?
5. Why did David want to marry one of Saul's daughters?
6. Why did Saul want David to marry his younger daughter?

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