1 Samuel 18:23

1 Samuel 18:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, "Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?”

Context of 1 Samuel 18:23

21He thought, ‘I will let David marry her. I will use her as a trap that will catch him. I will give the Philistines a chance to kill him.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Now you have another chance to marry one of my daughters.’ 22Saul told his servants to say secretly to David, ‘The king is pleased with you. His servants all like you. You should now marry the king's daughter.’ Saul's servants said this to David. But David replied, ‘It is a great honour for someone to marry the king's daughter. But I am poor. I am not important enough.’ 24Saul's servants told him what David had said. 25Saul said, ‘Tell David this: The king does not want David to pay money to marry the king's daughter. He can pay for her with the foreskins of 100 dead Philistines. Saul wants David to punish his enemies.’ In this way, Saul thought that he would use the Philistines to kill David.

1 Samuel 18:23 word by word

וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּ עַבְדֵ֤י שָׁאוּל֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י דָוִ֔ד אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗ד הַֽנְקַלָּ֤ה בְעֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ הִתְחַתֵּ֣ן בַּמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִֽישׁ־רָ֥שׁ וְנִקְלֶֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Saul’sשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• those wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• in the earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Seemethעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• lightקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• to be a king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• son in lawחָתַןchâthan · make oneself a daughter’s husbandH2859
• a poorרוּשׁrûsh · be poorH7326
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• and lightly esteemedקָלָהqâlâh · to dishonorH7034

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 18:23

• 1 John 3:1Think about how much God the Father loves us. He calls us his children! God loves us so much that we really have become his children. The people who belong to this world do not understand who God is. Because of that, they do not understand who we are.
• 1 Samuel 9:21Saul answered, ‘I belong to the tribe of Benjamin. It is the smallest tribe in the nation of Israel. And my family belongs to the smallest clan in that tribe. So why do you speak like this to me?’
• Proverbs 14:20Even the neighbours of poor people do not like them. But rich people have many friends.
• Proverbs 19:6Many people want an important person to like them. Everyone wants to be the friend of someone who gives lots of gifts.
• Ecclesiastes 9:15There was a man who lived in the city. He was poor but he was also wise. Because he was wise, he knew how to save the city. But after he saved it, nobody remembered that poor man.
• Psalms 119:141I am not important enough for people to respect me, but I do not forget your teaching.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 18:23

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23A poor man and lightly esteemed - Compare Psalm 119:141. Poor, and therefore unable to pay a sufficient dowry. See 1 Samuel 18:25.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. 23A future son-in-law would give a bride price (a required gift) to his bride’s father (see Genesis 34:12; Exodus 22:16–17).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 18:23

• Armies
• David
• Humility
• Jealousy
• Malice
• Michal
• Philistines
• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• David
• Son-in-Law
• Ascribe
• Avoid
• Kingdom
• Marriage
• Soul
• Stripling
• Tabret
• Valiant

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