New English Translation
1 Samuel 18:7
7The women who were playing the music sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his 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
5On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. 6When the men arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. The women who were playing the music sang, “Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!” 8This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 9So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
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 in response to them, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.”
- Psalms 24:7Look up, you gates! Rise up, you eternal doors! Then the majestic king will enter!
- 1 Samuel 21:11The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying, ‘Saul struck down his thousands, But David his tens of thousands’?”
- 1 Samuel 29:5Isn’t this David, of whom they sang as they danced, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his 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
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