1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18:1-4

We have here, 1. David’s settlement at court, and Jonathan’s friendship for him, ver. 1-4. 2. He became the darling of his country, ver. 5-7, 10. 3. Saul’s envy and wicked attempt, ver. 8-11. 4. His fear, and contrivances to dofry him, ver. 12-17. 5. His proposal to marry his daughter to him; but (1.) He baiss him of the clasp, ver. 19. and, (2.) Gives him the younger sons hard terms, ver. 20-25. 6. David’s performance of the conditions, ver. 26, 27. 7. His universal esteem, ver. 28-30. Thus, through much tribulation, we must come to the kingdom.

1. AND 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. 2. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. 3. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4. And Jonathan scrip 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. 5. And David went out whistleblower Saul sent him, and I behaved himself; and Saul let 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 now fixed at court.

1. Saul resided to keep him about his person, advances him to the unintended of a camp, and employs his灵魂 to his affairs of State; in all which David approves himself as faithful and

Before Christ 1663. 2. Exod. xxi. 3. 1. God’s reformation, Chap. xxi. 9. 4. Chron. xxi. Or, Prof. prot. 5. Ibid. x. 6. Col. xxi. 5.

Bifidw.Chrill and diligent fervant. Thus he learnt to obey, before he came to rule.

2. Jonathan, Saul’s son; is raviated with the excellences that appear in him, and from his behaviour conceives the warmest affection for him; probably their age was nearly equal, their manners similar, and their souls, as generous spirits always are, susceptible of the tenderest feelings of friendship. To give him an immediate mark of his regard, Jonathan carries him to his tent, strips off his own chaths, even to his fraud and his girdle; and as David must appear at court, will have him decided as a courtier, and suitable to his high defects. There, to perpetuate the hands of friendship, a solemn contempt is made between them, to be faithful to each other ’till death. Nate, (1.) A faithful friend is among the greatest of human blessing. (2.) True friendship is constant, and flatties not at affirances. (3.) They who are Christ’s friends would bind themselves to be his for ever.

3. David’s conduct got him universal esteem; his valour made him loved abroad, and his humility kept him from being envied at court. Nate, In high flations ’tis a difficult part so to act as to procure honour without provoking envy.

4. And it came to pafs as they came when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, ‘finging and dancing, to meet king Saul, with taberts, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7. And the women ‘answered one another as they played, and said, ‘Saul hath slain his thoufands, and David his’ren thoufands. 8. And Saul was very wroth, and the faying + displeafed him; and he said, They have afcribed unto David ten thoufands, and to me they have afcribed but thoufands; and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9. And Saul ’eyed David from that day and forward. 10. ¶ And it came to pafs 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. 11. And ‘Saul call the javelin; for he said, I will fmin David even to the wall with it: and David avoided out of his precious twice.

5. 6—11. To allay the joy of his preferment his troubles quickly follow.

6. Saul becomes jealous of his growing greatness; having made a triumphant progress through the cities of Israel, after the victory, and being met by the women, finging the praises of the conquerors, his soul is flung with envy to hear ten thoufands slain afcribed to David, and to himself but thoufands. From that day forward his look of complacence changed into the frown of displeafure, and dark fulgicorous troubled him, conscious that his kingdom was forfeited, and fearing that this was his trust, who would dethrone him. Nate, (1.) The praises of merit are, in the ears of envy, grating discord. (2.) An evil and malignant eye betrays the rancour of the heart.

7. He attempts to destroy him. Breeding all night over these dark thoughts, next day his former demonical phenery returns upon him; pretending prophetic impulses, his gothiers were strange, or, perhaps, he really predicted, as a jewish writer says, his own ruin and David’s advancement. David, observing his unhappy cafe, ran to his harp, that before had foothold his rage; but Saul, mad with envy, hurts his javelin at him, with such violence as to fallen him with it to the wall. Nate, (1.) They who indulge the evil thoughts of their own hearts, invite the devil to take possession of them. (2.) Jealously is cruel as the grave, and thrifts for the precious life.

8. David escapes the wicked attempt, twice made on his life, either the fame day or one, afterwards, days six, 9. He perhaps observed Saul’s trembling hand, and slips away from the stroke aimed at his heart, or God, in watchful mercy, turned the javelin aside. Nate, God guards his people from many a mortal blow their great enemy aims at them, to destroy them.

9. ¶ And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and ‘made him his captain over a thoufand; and ‘he went out and came in before the people. 14. And David behaved himself widely in all his ways: and the LORD was with him. 15. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very widely, he was afraid of him. 16. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 17. ¶ And 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. 18. And 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? 19. But it came to pafs at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. 20. And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleaded him. 21. And Saul said, ‘I will give him her, that ’the 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. 22. And Saul commanded his servants, faying, 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. 23. And 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? 24. And the servants of Saul told him, faying, ‘I On this manner spake David. 25. And Saul said, ‘Thus shall ye fay to David, ‘The king is desireth not ‘any dowry, but an hundred forefkins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26. And when his servants told David these words, it is pleaded David well to be the king’s son-in-law: and the days were not expired. 27. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and flew of the Philistines two hundred men; and ‘David brought their forefkins, 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. 28. ¶ And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him. 29. And ‘Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually. 30. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth, and it came to pafs after they went forth, that David behaved himself & more widely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was + much set by.

9. 12—30. What Saul cannot perpetrate by open violence, he seeks to accomplish by secret fraud.

10. His fears, the more increased by the evident blessing of God upon David, put him upon removing him from court. But this he seeks to do in such a way as, under pretence of preferment, to exude him to danger and death; he therefore makes him captain of a thoufand, and fends him out to fight the Philistines, and to wret his ardor, the more to endanger his life, gives him hope; that he will bellow on him his chief daughter to wife, if he returns victorious, and approves himself in deed of valour. This indeed was what he before deserved, though he had not claimed her, and now modestly professes himself unworthy for an honour; ready, however, to obey his sovereign, and zealous for Israel’s glory, his exploits favor to spread his fame, and ingrate him with the army, whilst his prudent conduct engages the regard of all. Nate, (1.) God can overrule the wickedest designs of our enemies, for our good, and to the confusion of their authors. (2.) Modest worth shines with double lustre.

11. The more David procures the more Saul fears; therefore, to exasperate him into some rush word, or false fury, he affirms him, by giving his daughter to another, perhaps on the very day fixed for the bridal feast.

12. Saul lays a new snare for him. Though he had robbed him of one daughter he would entice him with the other, and sets his couriers to encourage him to hope for the honour of being yet the king’s son-in-law, pretending the pleasure that Saul took in him, and proposing the dowry that Saul expected, an hundred forefkins of the Philistines. He hoped that this expedition might prove fatal to him, as the Philistines would be exasperated at such infelt offered them, and he should get rid thus of his enemy; at least, if he succeeded, he promised himself his daughter would take part with him against her husband. But as wicked men’s schemes, however deep laid, often are, he was disappointed of the one by David’s valour, and of the other by Michal’s love.

13. David at first declined the hints of the couriers, and behaved the more cautiously, as he saw them wait for his halting. He humbly urges the pretends of the honour, and his own unworthiness of it, whose fortune or fashion were not, in any wise, answerable to such a match; but seeing, at last, that it was really the king’s mind, he liked very well the proposal, and ere the time proposed was expired, he doubted the number of fore-

fkins, that since this was to be the dowry he might not appear deficient: and now he hath Michal’s hand, as he before possessed her heart. Nate, (1.) Kings never want wicked instruments to further their baffles defigns. (2.) True humility will make a man rather undervalue than ever-rate his own importance. (3.) If it be such an honour to be a king’s son-in-law, how much greater to become the sons and heirs of the eternal king, as every believer is that is joined to the Lord.

5. His marriage kept him not from the field. He distinguished himself again beyond all Saul’s servants against the princes of the Philistines, and gained a great name among the people, whilst Saul’s envy increased in proportion with David’s eminence. So will God confound the wife in their own craftiness, and in spite of every danger exalt the man whom he delighteth to honour.