1 Samuel 18

This chapter belongs to the middle section of 1 Samuel and continues the events immediately following David's defeat of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David enters Saul's court and gains renown, and at the same time his conflict with Saul begins.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: Jonathan loves David as his own soul, makes a covenant with him, and gives him his robe, his garments, his sword, his bow, and his girdle. David behaves himself wisely wherever he is sent and is set over the men of war.
• Verses 6–9: When the women sing, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands," Saul is very wroth, and from that day forward he eyes David with suspicion.
• Verses 10–16: When the evil spirit comes upon Saul, he hurls a javelin at David while David plays the harp (a stringed instrument), but David evades him twice. Saul makes David captain over a thousand and sends him away, yet all Israel and Judah love David.
• Verses 17–19: Saul promises his elder daughter Merab to David and sends him to fight the Philistines, but Merab is instead given in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite.
• Verses 20–30: When Michal falls in love with David, Saul demands a hundred foreskins of the Philistines as a dowry, hoping David will be killed. David slays two hundred men, presents their foreskins, and marries Michal, and Saul remains David's enemy for the rest of his life.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 18:1: "Jonathan loved him as his own soul" — the beginning of the friendship between David and Jonathan.
• 1 Samuel 18:7: "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" — the occasion of Saul's jealousy.
• 1 Samuel 18:14: "the LORD was with him" — together with verses 12 and 28, this verse expresses the theme running through the chapter.

Characters and Places

• David, Saul, Jonathan, Michal
• Merab: Saul's elder daughter. She is promised to David but is given to another man.
• Adriel: A Meholathite who becomes Merab's husband.
• Philistines: A coastal people who were at war with Israel.

Points for Reflection

• Regarding "the evil spirit from God" in verse 10, many interpreters read it as a judgment permitted under God's sovereignty, while others view it as an expression of Saul's mental anguish.
• Most denominations in the Korean church read the relationship between David and Jonathan as a friendship grounded in covenant. Some modern interpreters understand it differently, but this remains a disputed point of interpretation.
• Some manuscripts of the Septuagint are known to lack several passages of this chapter, including the account of Merab.
• The New Testament does not directly quote this chapter.

In the Korean Church

The story of David and Jonathan is frequently used in Sunday schools and young adult ministries as a text on true friendship and covenant, and the "thousands and ten thousands" scene is often cited in sermons warning against envy and jealousy.