KJV King James Version
And 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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
1 Samuel 18:25
And 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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
WEB World English Bible
Saul said, “You shall tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
ASV American Standard Version
And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
And Saul saith, ‘Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines—to be avenged on the enemies of the king;’ and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.
Surrounding context — 1 Samuel 18
22 And 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.
23 And 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?
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
25 And 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.
26 And 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.
27 Wherefore 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.
28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD [was] with David, and [that] Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרH559 · a.marto sayשָׁא֜וּלH7586 · sha.ulSaulכֹּֽה־H3541 · kohthusתֹאמְר֣וּH559 · a.marto sayלְדָוִ֗דH1732 · da.vidDavidאֵֽין־H369 · a.yinnothingחֵ֤פֶץH2656 · che.phetspleasureלַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙H4428 · me.lekhkingבְּמֹ֔הַרH4119 · mo.harbridepriceכִּ֗יH3588 · kiforבְּמֵאָה֙H3967 · me.ahhundredעָרְל֣וֹתH6190 · or.lah(Gilgal)-haaralothפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםH6430 · pe.lish.tiPhilistineלְהִנָּקֵ֖םH5358 · na.qamto avengeבְּאֹיְבֵ֣יH341 · o.yevenemyהַמֶּ֑לֶךְH4428 · me.lekhkingוְשָׁא֣וּלH7586 · sha.ulSaulחָשַׁ֔בH2803 · cha.shavto devise: designלְהַפִּ֥ילH5307 · na.phalto fall: fallאֶת־H853 · et[Obj.]דָּוִ֖דH1732 · da.vidDavidבְּיַד־H3027 · yadhandפְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃H6430 · pe.lish.tiPhilistine
Cross-references
1 Samuel 14:24And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed [be] the man that eateth [any] food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted [any] food.1 Samuel 18:17And 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.Genesis 34:12Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.Genesis 29:18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.1 Samuel 17:36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.2 Samuel 17:8-11For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.1 Samuel 17:26And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?Joshua 5:3And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.Genesis 17:11-14And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.Exodus 22:16-17And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on 1 Samuel 18:25
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →