1 Samuel 18
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
6And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
10And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
11And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.
13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
15Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17And 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.
18And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
19But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
20And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
22And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.
23And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.
27Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
29And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
30Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- שָׁאוּלShâʼûwlH758635× in this chapter
Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites
- דָּוִדDâvidH173233× in this chapter
David, the youngest son of Jesse
- אֵתʼêthH85316× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- הָיָהhâyâhH196115× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- אָמַרʼâmarH55913× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- מֶלֶךְmelekH442810× in this chapter
a king
- נָתַןnâthanH54149× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- כֹּלkôlH36058× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- יוֹםyôwmH31177× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- עֶבֶדʻebedH56507× in this chapter
a servant
- פְּלִשְׁתִּיPᵉlishtîyH64307× in this chapter
a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth
- דָּבָרdâbârH16976× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- הוּאhûwʼH19316× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- יָדyâdH30276× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יָצָאyâtsâʼH33186× in this chapter
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
- אֵלʼêlH4136× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- עַיִןʻayinH58696× in this chapter
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64406× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- בַּתbathH13235× in this chapter
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
- אָהַבʼâhabH1575× in this chapter
to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)
- חָתַןchâthanH28595× in this chapter
to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
- כִּיkîyH35885× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- עִםʻimH59735× in this chapter
adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)
- אִשָּׁהʼishshâhH8025× in this chapter
a woman
- דָבַרdâbarH16964× in this chapter
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30684× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- יְהוֹנָתָןYᵉhôwnâthânH30834× in this chapter
Jehonathan, the name of four Israelites
- נָכָהnâkâhH52214× in this chapter
to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)
- נֶפֶשׁnepheshH53154× in this chapter
properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
- שָׂכַלsâkalH79194× in this chapter
to be (causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence, intelligent
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9354× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH34783× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- מְאֹדmᵉʼôdH39663× in this chapter
properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)
- אֵלֶּהʼêl-lehH4283× in this chapter
these or those
- מִיכָלMîykâlH43243× in this chapter
Mikal, Saul's daughter
- נָגַדnâgadH50463× in this chapter
properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise
- אֶלֶףʼelephH5053× in this chapter
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
- עַדʻadH57043× in this chapter
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8343× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- אָבʼâbH12× in this chapter
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application