1 Samuel 18:17

1 Samuel 18:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

Context of 1 Samuel 18:17

15When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he publicly associated with them. Then Saul said to David, “Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” 19But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was [instead] given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

1 Samuel 18:17 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הִנֵּה֩ בִתִּ֨י הַגְּדוֹלָ֤ה מֵרַב֙ אֹתָהּ֙ אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ךְ הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁא֣וּל אָמַ֗ר אַל־תְּהִ֤י יָדִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וּתְהִי־ב֖וֹ יַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• Behold my elderגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: oldH1419
• daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• Merabמֵרָבmêrâb · MerabH4764
• her will I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: give(marriage)H5414
• thee to wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• only be thou valiantחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
• only be thou valiantבֵּןbên · son: warriorH1121
• for me, and fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• battlesמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• Let not mine handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 18:17

• 1 Samuel 17:25The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. The king will reward the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter [in marriage] and make his father’s house (family) free [from taxes and service] in Israel.”
• Psalms 12:2They speak deceitful and worthless words to one another; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
• Psalms 55:21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But his heart was hostile; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.
• 1 Samuel 17:47and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”
• 1 Samuel 25:28Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the Lord will certainly make my lord a secure and enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil will not be found in you all your days.
• Numbers 32:20Moses replied, “If you will do as you say, if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for war,
• 1 Samuel 18:21Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare (bad influence, source of trouble) to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David for a second time, “You shall be my son-in-law today.”
• Deuteronomy 17:7The hand of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
• 2 Samuel 11:15He wrote in the letter, “Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and leave him, so that he may be struck down and die.”
• 2 Samuel 12:9Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 18:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Fight the Lord's battles - Mr. Calmet properly remarks that the wars of the Hebrews, while conducted by the express orders of God, were truly the wars of the Lord; but when the spirit of worldly ambition and domination became mingled with them, they were no longer the wars of the Lord, but wars of lust and profanity.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Saul had not hitherto fulfilled the promise of which David had heard (marginal reference); nor was it unnatural that Saul should delay to do so, until the shepherd‘s boy had risen to a higher rank.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-30Verses 12-30 For a long time David was kept in continual apprehension of falling by the hand of Saul, yet he persevered in meek and respectful behaviour towards his persecutor. How uncommon is such prudence and discretion, especially under insults and provocations! Let us inquire if we imitate this part of the exemplary character before us. Are we behaving wisely in all our ways? Is there no sinful omission, no rashness of spirit, nothing wrong in our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Saul promised his daughter to anyone who could kill Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25; see also Joshua 15:16; Judges 1:12). But he added more risks for David (see also 1 Samuel 18:21, 25).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife--Though bound to this already [1Sa 17:25], he had found it convenient to forget his former promise. He now holds it out as a new offer, which would tempt David to give additional proofs of his valor. But the fickle and perfidious monarch broke his pledge at the time when the marriage was on the eve of being celebrated, and bestowed Merab on another man (see on 2Sa 21:8)…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 18:17

• Armies
• David
• Jealousy
• Malice
• Marriage
• Merab
• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• David
• Philistines
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Ascribe
• Avoid
• Kingdom
• Soul
• Stripling
• Tabret

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings