1 Samuel 18:26

DAVID BECOMES SAUL'S SON-IN-LAW

"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, 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 for a wife. But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that all Israel loved him, Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually."

"Before the time expired" (1 Samuel 18:26). This indicates that Saul, at the last minute, had changed the proposition by placing a deadline upon it, requiring that it be done in a specified length of time, thus increasing the danger to David, and increasing the possibility that David might be tempted into doing something rash.

David ... killed two hundred Philistines ... and brought their foreskins ... in full number to the king" (1 Samuel 18:27). One cannot help wondering what emotion must have swept over Saul when he received the filthy garbage which was, in a sense, his sale price for the precious Michal.

L. P. Smith, in Interpreter's Bible, contradicted what is stated here, declaring that, "The killing of two hundred Philistines is an unnecessary and unoriginal exaggeration. David paid the "full number" to Saul. viz., one hundred; and this is borne out by a later reference to the event in 2 Samuel 3:14." This writer must confess that one of the most incredible discoveries of a whole lifetime of Bible study is the unjustifiable and even dishonest allegations of critical scholars against the Word of God. The two passages cited here harmonize perfectly. 2 Samuel 3:14 does not deny that David killed two hundred Philistines. It only designates "the price" of the betrothal, which had been set by Saul and which was exactly what is related in this chapter.

"Thus this final scheme served only to increase David's fame and to bring him into the royal family. These events proved, as even Saul recognized, that `the Lord was with David' (1 Samuel 18:28)."[7]

The significance of this marriage to Saul's daughter lies in the fact that, "As Saul's son-in-law, David was in an advantageous position to receive the throne at Saul's death, or at some later time."[8]

"It is impossible to know the chronological relationship of the events recorded in 1 Samuel 18:17-30."[9]