1 Samuel 18:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him.

NIV: When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.

NASB: When Saul saw that he was very successful, he was afraid of him.

CSB: When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him.

NLT: When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him.

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

NKJV: Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.

King Saul of Israel is struggling to hold himself together. The prophet Samuel announced that God had rejected Saul as king because of his rebellion. The Lord had already chosen another to take his place on the throne (1 Samuel 15:23–28). Even worse, it's become obvious to Saul that the Lord left him, ending his run of great success, and is now with David (1 Samuel 15:12). It seems obvious, to Saul, that David is the one meant to take his place.

Saul's primary response to David's rise has been fear. Saul is so afraid of the people's love of David that he sent David away from serving on his staff to lead a military division against the Philistines (1 Samuel 15:13). Saul likely hopes David will be killed in battle or, at least, fail to win a victory and lose some of his popularity (1 Samuel 18:17).

This plan has now backfired. David succeeds in everything he attempts as a fighter and military leader, only increasing the people's love and respect for him (1 Samuel 18:13–14). Now Saul is said to be in "dread" or "fearful awe" of David. Saul's jealousy of God's choice for Israel only magnifies his fear and resentment of David.

First Samuel 18:6–16 reveals the hastening story of King Saul's demise and David's rise. When the army returns from battle, David's victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17) is celebrated more than the king's win over the Philistine army. The harmful spirit returns to Saul (1 Samuel 16:14–23). His jealousy of David turns to violence. Before long, Saul will use his own daughters as bait in traps to destroy his greatest warrior (1 Samuel 18:17–30).

Saul's son Jonathan becomes David's best friend. David succeeds in every military mission Saul sends him on. The people praise David as being even mightier than Saul. The king is furious and terrified that David will take his throne. After Saul's direct attempts to kill David fail, the king sends David to battle the Philistines using marriage to his daughter as bait. David not only survives, but he continues to prove himself to be a mightier warrior and leader than Saul. Saul knows the Lord is with David and not with him and cements himself as David's permanent enemy.

First Samuel 18 begins the story of how the changed work of the Holy Spirit on both Saul and David (1 Samuel 16:13–14) leads to the king's destruction and David's rise. David faithfully serves both Saul (1 Samuel 16:14–23) and Saul's kingdom (1 Samuel 17—18). But David wins the hearts of Saul's people and his children. Saul can't handle the competition (1 Samuel 19—20). Finally, David flees the royal court and raises his own army. He spends years fighting Israel's enemies from afar, patiently waiting until Saul dies in battle and the shepherd boy can take his rightful crown (1 Samuel 21—31).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.