God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 18:7
7The women who were celebrating sang, “Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands!”
1 Samuel 18:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
- New International Version (NIV)As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.”
Context of 1 Samuel 18:7
5David was successful wherever Saul sent him. Saul put him in charge of the fighting men. This pleased all the people, including Saul’s officials. 6As they arrived, David was returning from a campaign against the Philistines. Women from all of Israel’s cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced, accompanied by tambourines, joyful music, and triangles. The women who were celebrating sang, “Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands!” 8Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. “To David they credit tens of thousands,” he said, “but to me they credit ⌞only⌟ a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom.” 9From that day on Saul kept an eye on David.
Read all of 1 Samuel 181 Samuel 18:7 word by word
וַֽתַּעֲנֶ֛ינָה הַנָּשִׁ֥ים הַֽמְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת וַתֹּאמַ֑רְןָ הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ בַּאֲלָפָ֔יו וְדָוִ֖ד בְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to singH6030
- as they playedשָׂחַקώâchaq · to laughH7832
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- hath slainנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- his thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- and Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- his ten thousandsרְבָבָהrebâbâh · myriadH7233
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 18:7
- Exodus 15:21Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory. He has thrown horses and their riders into the sea.”
- Psalms 24:7Lift your heads, you gates. Be lifted, you ancient doors, so that the king of glory may come in.
- 1 Samuel 21:11Achish’s officers asked, “Isn’t this David, the king of ⌞his⌟ country? He’s the one they used to sing about in the dances: ‘Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands.’ ”
- 1 Samuel 29:5Isn’t this David of whom people sing in dances: ‘Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands’?”
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 18:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Saul hath slain his thousands - As it cannot literally be true that Saul had slain thousands, and David ten thousands; it would be well to translate the passage thus: Saul hath smitten or fought against thousands; David against tens of thousands. "Though Saul has been victorious in all his battles; yet he has not had such great odds against him as David has had; Saul, indeed, has been opposed by thousands; David, by ten thousands." We may here remark that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7As they played - Or danced with vocal and instrumental music (see Judges 16:25 note).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 David's troubles not only immediately follow his triumphs, but arise from them; such is the vanity of that which seems greatest in this world. It is a sign that the Spirit of God is departed from men, if, like Saul, they are peevish, envious, suspicious, and ill-natured. Compare David, with his harp in his hand, aiming to serve Saul, and Saul, with his javelin in his hand, aiming to slay David; and observe the sweetness and usefulness of God's…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7thousands … tens of thousands: This very large increase in numbers between two lines of Hebrew poetry was a way of making the statement stronger (see Deuteronomy 32:30; Psalm 91:7). Because of his great military victories, David was beginning to become more popular and more successful than Saul (1 Samuel 18:16, 30; 21:11).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 18:7
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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