1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel · Chapter 18

1 Samuel 18:20

1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.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.5And 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.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 musick.7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.8And Saul was very wroth, 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?9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.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: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s 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.12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.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.17And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.18And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.20And Michal Saul’s 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, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law.23And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.25And 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.26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.27Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew 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 king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.28And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
20And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and she lovedוַתֶּאֱהַ֛בva-te-'e-HAVH0157G
to love: lover

אָהֵב (a.hav) : lover 1) to love 1a) (Qal) 1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual 1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom 1a3) human love for or to God 1a4) act of being a friend 1a4a) lover (participle) 1a4b) friend (participle) 1a5) God's love toward man 1a5a) to individual men 1a5b) to people Israel 1a5c) to righteousness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) lovely (participle) 1b2) loveable (participle) 1c) (Piel) 1c1) friends 1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers) 2) to like Also means: a.hav (אָהֵב ": friend" H0157H)

Michalמִיכַ֥לmi-KHALH4324G
Michal

מִיכַל (mi.khal) A woman of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.49; daughter of: Saul (H7586G) and Ahinoam (H0293); married to David (H1732) and Palti (H6406H); sister of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444) and Merab (H4764); half-brother of: Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764) and Mephibosheth (H4648H) § Michal = "who is like God" …

[the] daughter ofבַּת־bat-H1323G
daughter

בַּת (bat) : daughter 1) daughter 1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin 1a1) as polite address 1a2) as designation of women of a particular place 2) young women, women 1a3) as personification 1a4) daughter-villages 1a5) description of character Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

Saulשָׁא֖וּלsha-'ULH7586G
Saul

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2; son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532); father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H) § Saul or Shaul = "desired" 1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel 2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah 3) a son of Simeon 4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

Davidדָּוִ֑דda-VIDH1732
David

דָּוִד (da.vid) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17; son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I); brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339); …

and people toldוַיַּגִּ֣דוּvai-ya-GI-duH5046
to tell

נָגַד (na.gad) 1) to be conspicuous, tell, make known 1a) (Hiphil) to tell, declare 1a1) to tell, announce, report 1a2) to declare, make known, expound 1a3) to inform of 1a4) to publish, declare, proclaim 1a5) to avow, acknowledge, confess 1a5a) messenger (participle) 1b) (Hophal) to be told, be announced, be reported

to Saulלְשָׁא֔וּלle-sha-'ULH7586G
Saul

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2; son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532); father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H) § Saul or Shaul = "desired" 1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel 2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah 3) a son of Simeon 4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

and it was pleasingוַיִּשַׁ֥רvai-yi-SHARH3474
to smooth

יָשַׁר (ya.shar) 1) to be right, be straight, be level, be upright, be just, be lawful, be smooth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go straight 1a2) to be pleasing, be agreeable, be right (fig.) 1a3) to be straightforward, be upright 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to make right, make smooth, make straight 1b2) to lead, direct, lead straight along 1b3) to esteem right, approve 1c) (Pual) to be made level, be laid smoothly out 1d) (Hiphil) to make straight, look straight

the matterהַדָּבָ֖רha-da-VARH1697I
word

דָּבָר (da.var) : word/speech/command 1) speech, word, speaking, thing 1a) speech 1b) saying, utterance 1c) word, words 1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

in view hisבְּעֵינָֽיו׃be-'ei-NAVH5869INo entry

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.