1 Samuel 18:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul 's servants.

NIV: Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

NASB: And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

CSB: David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

NLT: Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.

KJV: And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

NKJV: So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

David is bold, brave, good-looking, young, a skilled fighter, a talented musician, and a natural leader. As much as all those are true, he has such success in all areas of his life because the Lord is with him. To say, "The Lord is with David" seems simple enough. Yet those words are powerful beyond our understanding. They go deeper than what other people could easily see.

In a literal sense, God was always "with" David, even before David was born (Psalm 139:13). But His overt work through David began at a specific moment. The Lord chose David and sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as Israel's next king. After this, the Holy Spirit of God "rushed" onto the youth (1 Samuel 16:13). From that day on, the Lord empowered David to be successful in all he did.

David participates in God's work in two specific ways: He believes God, and he obeys God. The results are described in this verse: success, growing responsibility, and then more success. The young man becomes the leader of men of war, and they don't resent him for it. It's unclear if this is a summary statement of the next few years, starting in 1 Samuel 18:13, or if David commands a smaller force between the time he kills Goliath and returns home with Saul (1 Samuel 18:6). Either way, everyone is glad to see David in charge and to serve under and alongside him. Everyone loves and respects David.

Everyone except the king.

First Samuel 18:1–5 records how David becomes a permanent member of the royal court. He had spent time there serving Saul (1 Samuel 17:15), but after he kills Goliath, the king brings him in permanently. Saul's son Jonathan, the heir-apparent, immediately forms a lifelong bond of friendship. Despite the bizarre views of some modern commentators, this bond is not sexual. It's a beautiful example of male friendship. Meanwhile, the people's adoration of David makes the king furious to the point of murder.

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.