1 Samuel 18:7

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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!”

Context of 1 Samuel 18:7

5Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. 6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” 8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

1 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, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”
• Psalms 24:7Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
• 1 Samuel 21:11But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
• 1 Samuel 29:5Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and 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

• Armies
• Joy
• Music
• Prudence
• Victories

In the dictionaries

• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Ascribe
• Avoid
• Kingdom
• 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