Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely ,.... So that he could get no advantage against him, and he succeeded and was prosperous in all his enterprises, and was more and more in favour with the people: he was afraid of him ; lest the time was drawing near that the kingdom should be rent from him, and given to David. read more
And all Israel and Judah loved David ,.... The verb is singular, and denotes that everyone of them loved him in all the tribes of Israel, as well as in Judah his own tribe; in such general esteem was he, and so much had he got the hearts and affections of the people: because he went out and came in before them ; the people, as in 1 Samuel 18:13 ; so the Septuagint version, in which, according to the Vatican copy, the verses 1 Samuel 18:17 are wanting. read more
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, 1 Samuel 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... read more
And David said unto Saul ,.... Surprised at the offer Saul made him, yet not refusing it, but expressing himself with great modesty and humility: who am I ? as to his person, parentage, and employment, mean and despicable, at least in his own eyes, a type of the lowly Jesus, Matthew 11:29 , and what is my life ? keeping sheep, for from thence was he taken and advanced; though some think his meaning is, that to hazard his life, as Saul proposed, was not equivalent to such an... read more
But it came to pass, at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter , should have been given to David ,.... Either when the giving of her to him was talked of, or when the time fixed for her marriage was come: that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife : Saul either having in reality never designed she should be given to David, only proposed it to please the people, or to affront David, and expose him to shame and confusion by the step he meant to take, or however he soon changed... read more
And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David ,.... His youngest daughter fell in love with him, because of the comeliness of his person, his gallant behaviour, his wise conduct, and the general esteem and reputation he was had in, as may be supposed: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him ; not that his daughter loved David, or that he should be his son-in-law, but that he should have an opportunity, as he hoped, of destroying David, which he had lost by giving his elder daughter to... read more
And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him ,.... The cause and occasion of his fall and ruin, by means of what he should propose to him as the condition of marriage; but instead of proving a snare to him, as he hoped, she was the means of his deliverance, when Saul sent messengers to slay him, 1 Samuel 19:11 , and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him ; provoked by what he should put him upon doing to them. The scheme he had in his head after... read more
And Saul commanded his servants, saying , commune with David secretly ,.... And persuade him to marry Michal, and assure him of Saul's real regard to him, and good intention towards him; for it seems that David being ill used in the affair of his eldest daughter, did not listen to the proposals of Saul as to the youngest, and therefore Saul took this method to bring him into them: and say, behold, the king hath a delight in thee ; bore a good will towards him, had an high opinion of... read more
And Saul's servants spake these words in the ears of David ,.... Those before related, which Saul commanded them to speak, which they delivered exactly according to their orders, with an audible voice, clearly, plainly, and distinctly, so that David might hear and understand them: and David said, seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law ; a small a trifling matter, an easy thing to come into, every thing requisite to it: seeing that I am a poor man ; and not... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 18:14
And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways ,.... Both in the court and in the camp, in whatsoever service he was employed; or "prospered" F21 משכיל "prospere admodum res gerebat", Vatablus; "secundabatur", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so the Targum and Jarchi. , as the word also signifies; for, generally speaking, those that behave wisely succeed well; in this he was a type of Christ, Isaiah 52:13 ; the reason of it follows: and the Lord was with him ; from whom... read more