1 Samuel 18:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king 's enemies.’" Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

NIV: Saul replied, "Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ " Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

NASB: Saul then said, 'This is what 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.’?' But Saul plotted to have David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

CSB: Then Saul replied, "Say this to David: ‘The king desires no other bride-price except a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’" Actually, Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.

NLT: he told them, 'Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.' But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.

KJV: And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

NKJV: Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Saul wants David to marry into his family. This is for cruel, jealous reasons. The king hopes the rising star of Israel will be obligated to continue fighting against the Philistines. This, he thinks, will lead to David being killed in battle (1 Samuel 18:17–21). But Saul's has misjudged David ever since the shepherd boy volunteered to fight Goliath. This has caused the king to struggle in attempts to convince David to marry a princess.

David's motives escape Saul's understanding. David sincerely believes he's unworthy to be in the royal family. This comes despite assurances that he is warmly loved by both Saul's daughter (1 Samuel 18:20) and the king himself (1 Samuel 18:22–23). David doesn't believe he has proven himself as a man, despite his heroic victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17:50).

Part of David's objection is the custom of the groom's family to pay a "bride price." The idea was to offset the loss of their daughter. David and his family have nothing to offer a man like Saul which he doesn't already have—or couldn't just take if he wanted it. This gives Saul an opportunity to motivate his enemy. He will issue a challenge for David to prove himself. The plan is clever: either the young champion will accept the offer of marriage or, even better, die in the attempt.

Saul's challenge is simple and gruesome: to kill a hundred Philistines and bring evidence proving it. During this era, armies would collect hands or heads as trophies or to verify the number of those killed. Later cultures would do the same with ears or scalps. In this case, Saul's proof is extremely specific. The foreskin is a flap of flesh removed from the penis during circumcision (Genesis 17:9–12). Philistines didn't practice this and wouldn't submit to it willingly. Israelites were circumcised as infants. The only way to provide this gruesome evidence would be to kill precisely that many enemies.

First Samuel 18:17–30 reveals the depths of King Saul's hatred toward David. When David killed Goliath, Saul thought he had a champion (1 Samuel 17). The moment they return from battle, however, the people's affections transfer to David, and the king grows furious. Saul's direct attempts to kill David fail (1 Samuel 18:6–16), so he uses his daughters to lure David into a fatal battle with the Philistines. Again, Saul's plan fails, and the king realizes God's protection over David is too great. Soon, Saul will watch as even his children favor David (1 Samuel 19).

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.