1 Samuel 18:7-21

⁷And as the women danced, they sang out:

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.”

⁸And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”

⁹And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

¹⁰The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,

¹¹and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

¹²So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.

¹³Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,

¹⁴and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.

¹⁵When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”

¹⁹So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.

²¹“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”

Related Resources from Heartlight

Cross References for 1 Samuel 18:7-21

The Berean Standard Bible