CHAPTER 18

(1063 B.C.)

JONATHAN AND DAVID

¹And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan (the son of Saul) was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul (Jonathan was to David as an older brother).

²And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his fathers house (brought David into the court).

³Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. (The covenant basically meant that whatever belonged to Jonathan now belonged to David. [In effect, he was giving David the kingdom, because he knew that God had called him for such.] Whatever belonged to David now belonged to Jonathan, as well! They would go so far as to lay down their lives for each other, if necessary. It would also extend to their children; hence, this is the reason that David would bring Mephibosheth into the palace and give him place and position [II Sam., Chpt. 9].

The covenant that is spoken of is basically a Type of the New Covenant made by Christ on the Cross. We enter into that Covenant by the virtue of Faith in Christ and what He has done for us [Jn. 3:16].)

SAUL BECOMES JEALOUS OF DAVID

⁵And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely (the Holy Spirit will bear this out concerning David several times; he did this by the help of the Spirit): and Saul set him over the men of war (a special group), and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Sauls servants.

⁶And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music (because of their victories).

⁷And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

⁸And Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? (When Saul had stood powerless before the enemy, a shepherd boy had stepped forth and given him the victory. This stripling, taken to be his companion in arms, had shown so many great qualities that the people reckoned him at ten times Sauls worth. Due to a total lack of spirituality, Saul could not handle this.)

⁹And Saul eyed David from that day and forward (with intent to harm him).

¹⁰And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house (however, he wasnt prophesying by the Spirit of God, but rather by the power of demon spirits): and David played with his hand, as at other times (played the harp): and there was a javelin in Sauls hand.

¹¹And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice (instead of allowing David to draw him to the Lord, he took the opposite road, and tried to kill David).

¹²And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul (in effect, he sees the handwriting on the wall!).

¹³Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his Captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. (Evidently the administrative affairs of the kingdom had been neglected, with David now functioning somewhat in this capacity. In a sense, Saul promoted David, giving him the charge of a thousand men; but David was no longer in the presence of Saul. Evidently, Saul didnt know what to do with him, because he was so popular with the people.)

¹⁴And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him (that was the reason for the blessings).

¹⁵Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them (he was totally trustworthy, and, as stated, behaved himself wisely!).

DAVID MARRIES SAULS DAUGHTER

¹⁷And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give you to wife: only be you valiant for me, and fight the LORDs battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him (constantly sending David out to battle, Saul believed that he would ultimately be killed, which he desired).

¹⁸And 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?

¹⁹But 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. (The kings promise to give his daughter to the victor was not kept; but, on the contrary, a snare was set for Davids foot. Merab was indeed proposed, but upon the added condition that David should venture his life and slay more of the Philistines, and thereby, as Saul hoped, lose his life. But this plan having failed, the king laid another snare for him. He grossly insulted him by giving the bride, a day or two before the marriage, to another man. By this, no doubt, he hoped to sting David into some disloyal language or conduct that would justify his being put to death. But this also failed.)

²⁰And Michal Sauls daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

²¹And 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, You shall this day be my son in law in the one of the twain (David will marry the other daughter).

²²And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you: now therefore be the kings son in law.

²³And Sauls servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seem it to you a light thing to be a kings son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

²⁴And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spoke David (they told Saul what David said, which means that David said nothing as it regards what Saul had done to him, by giving his first daughter to another man, instead of to David, as promised).

²⁵And Saul said, Thus shall you say to David, The king desires not any dowry, but an 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 (this was the snare which he planned).

²⁶And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the kings son in law: and the days were not expired (David was given a certain period of time for this to be done).

²⁷Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed 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. (All of this was so known among so many people that Saul couldnt go back on this. Some may blanch at David killing so many Philistines; however, they were Gods enemies and, in slaying them, David acted as Gods Servant, and not as Sauls instrument.)

²⁸And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Sauls daughter loved him.

²⁹And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became Davids enemy continually.

³⁰Then 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 (we learn from all of this that what God has blessed, nothing can curse!).