1 Samuel 18:5-16

18:5 On 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. ¹ 

18:6 When the men ²  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. ³  18:7 The women who were playing the music sang,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,

but David his tens of thousands!”

18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, ⁴  “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 18:9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.

18:10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre ⁵  that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 18:11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.

18:12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 18:13 Saul removed David ⁶  from his presence and made him a commanding officer. ⁷  David led the army out to battle and back. ⁸  18:14 Now David achieved success in all he did, ⁹  for the Lord was with him. 18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 18:16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.

[18:5]  ¹ tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.”

[18:6]  ² tn Heb “them.” The masculine plural pronoun apparently refers to the returning soldiers.

[18:6]  ³ tn Heb “with tambourines, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.”

[18:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.

[18:10]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”

[18:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”

[18:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.

[18:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “in all his ways.”