Saul Sees The Possibility Of Using His Promise That The Victor Over Goliath Should Marry His Daughter As A Means Of Trapping David, But In The End It Backfires On Him (1 Samuel 18:15-30).
In this passage we again have an inclusio based on David's behaving wisely (compare 1 Samuel 18:5 and 1 Samuel 18:14). In 1 Samuel 18:15 ‘Saul saw that he behaved wisely' and in verse 30 ‘David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul' with the result that his reputation grew. This brings out that the two passages indicate parallel situations in that in both of them Saul is plotting David's downfall.
In this passage Saul plans to use his promise that he would give his daughter to the victor over Goliath so as to destroy David by the hand of the Philistines. The fact is emphasised (see 1 Samuel 18:17; 1 Samuel 18:21; 1 Samuel 18:25). It is a further indication of his distorted thinking. It is the kind of inverted cunning often found in cases of schizophrenia.
Analysis.
a And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him (1 Samuel 18:15).
b But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them (1 Samuel 18:16).
c And Saul said to David, “See, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you for a wife, only be you valiant for me, and fight YHWH's battles” (1 Samuel 18:17 a).
d For Saul said, “Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him” (1 Samuel 18:17 b).
e And David said to 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?” (1 Samuel 18:18).
f And it came about that, at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife (1 Samuel 18:19).
g And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him (1 Samuel 18:20).
h And 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” (1 Samuel 18:21 a).
g Which is the reason why Saul said to David, “You shall this day be my son-in-law” a second time (1 Samuel 18:21 b).
f And Saul commanded his servants, saying, “Speak with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you, now therefore be the king's son-in-law” (1 Samuel 18:22).
e And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?” (1 Samuel 18:23).
d And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this way spoke David.” And Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, The king does not want 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 (1 Samuel 18:24-25).
c 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, and 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 number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife (1 Samuel 18:26-27).
b And Saul saw and knew that YHWH was with David, and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul was David's enemy continually (1 Samuel 18:28-29).
a Then the princes of the Philistines went forth, and it came about that, as often as they went forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by (1 Samuel 18:30).
Note that in ‘a' Saul saw that David behaved himself very wisely, and in the parallel David behaved himself very wisely. In ‘b' all Israel and Judah loved David, and in the parallel Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. In ‘c' Saul says that David can marry his daughter Merab if he is valiant for him and fights YHWH's battles, and in the parallel he goes out and is valiant for Saul and slays many Philistines and as a result marries Michal, his other daughter. In ‘d' Saul's aim is that David fall at the hands of the Philistines, and in the parallel his aim is the same. In ‘e' David declares his unfitness to be the king's son in law, and in the parallel declares the same. In ‘f' Merab is given to someone else, and in the parallel David is given a second opportunity to marry one of Saul's daughters. In ‘g' Saul was pleased that his daughter loved David, and in the parallel tells David that he has another opportunity to be his son-in-law. Centrally in ‘g' Saul's aim is that David might be ensnared into being slain by the Philistines (a theme of the passage, see verses 17b, 21, 25b).
‘ And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.'
And when Saul saw the discreet and wise way in which David conducted himself he stood in awe of him. As David grew in status and popularity Saul recognised more and more that he was dealing with someone with whom he would have to be extremely careful. For meanwhile the whole of Israel and Judah had grown to love David as he moved among them and efficiently performed his duties, which, of course, included going out and defending them from the Philistines. Note again the distinction between ‘all Israel' and ‘Judah'. The whole people loved him, but especially those of his own tribe to whom he had, of course, brought great prestige.
“But all Israel and Judah loved David.” This is the second reference in the chapter to people who loved David. The first was Jonathan in verse 1, and a third will be Michal in 1 Samuel 18:28. The more Saul is against him, the more popular he becomes.
“For he went out and came in before them.” Compare 1 Samuel 18:13 where ‘he went out and came in before the people'. Because of his triumphs he was constantly in the eyes of the people.
In all this there is a reminder to all of us of the importance of behaving well and discreetly, even when we consider that the Spirit of God is upon us. Spiritual experience is never a good excuse for sloppy behaviour and living. We are called on to be ‘perfect in all our ways', and that includes being honourable in the eyes of all men (as far as is consistent with our Christian testimony).