New Living Translation
1 Samuel 18:17
17One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”
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 recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle. One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.” 18“Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!” 19So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.
Read all of 1 Samuel 181 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 17:25“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”
- Psalms 12:2Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
- Psalms 55:21His words are as smooth as butter, but in his heart is war. His words are as soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers!
- 1 Samuel 17:47And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
- 1 Samuel 25:28Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
- Numbers 32:20Then Moses said, “If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the Lord’s battles,
- 1 Samuel 18:21“Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”
- Deuteronomy 17:7The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.
- 2 Samuel 11:15The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.”
- 2 Samuel 12:9Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.
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
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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