David's Military Success And Saul's Growing Suspicion And Awe Of David (1 Samuel 18:5-14).
It will be noted that this passage comes between two inclusios in 1 Samuel 18:5 and 1 Samuel 18:15. In 1 Samuel 18:5 we are told that David ‘behaved himself wisely' and in verse 15 this is confirmed. David's military success, both in defeating Goliath and in what followed, was such that it made Saul jealous, and it probably confirmed to him the suspicion that this might be the one of whom Samuel had spoken when he said that YHWH had Saul's replacement in mind. Thus he began to watch David closely and to be in awe of him, and it affected him so much that in one of his ‘mad fits' he sought to kill him.
Analysis.
a And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely, and Saul set him over men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants (1 Samuel 18:5)
b And so it was, as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music (1 Samuel 18:6).
c And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7).
d And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him, and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward (1 Samuel 18:8-9).
e And it came about on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house (1 Samuel 18:10 a).
d And David played with his hand, as he did day by day, and Saul had his spear in his hand, and Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will smite David even to the wall.” And David avoided out of his presence twice (1 Samuel 18:10-11).
c And Saul was afraid of David, because YHWH was with him, and had departed from Saul (1 Samuel 18:12).
b Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his commander over a military unit, and he went out and came in before the people (1 Samuel 18:13).
a And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and YHWH was with him (1 Samuel 18:14).
Note that in ‘a' David behaved himself wisely and Saul, and the people, and all Saul's courtiers were with him, and in the parallel David behaved himself wisely and ‘YHWH was with him'. In ‘b' David was welcomed by the people in the shape of the women of Israel singing and dancing, and in the parallel he went out and then back in among the people. In ‘c' the women are seen as exalting David above Saul, indicating that YHWH is with him, and in the parallel is afraid of David because YHWH is with him and has departed from Saul. Note the repetition of ‘YHWH was with him' in 1 Samuel 18:12 and 1 Samuel 18:14. In ‘d' Saul is jealous of David and ‘eyes him' from that day on, and in the parallel that envy and suspicion erupts into violence. Centrally in ‘e' we have the explanation for Saul's behaviour and the recognition of his fall from YHWH's favour. He no longer has the Holy Spirit coming mightily upon him, but ‘an evil spirit from God', with the result that he babbles.
‘ And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself sagaciously, and Saul set him over men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.'
From this time on David served Saul faithfully and wisely, and did whatever he asked him, and Saul set him over a military detachment, and in spite of his youth everyone approved, even Saul's closest adviser and supporters.
“The men of war”. The article need only indicate ‘the men of war over whom he was set'. It does not mean that he was made commander-in-chief.
‘ And so it was, as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music.'
When the victorious army of Israel returned home after the slaughter of Goliath and the routing of the Philistine army, they passed through a number of cities, and as they did so they were greeted by the women of those cities who sang and danced and played their musical instruments in order to welcome Saul with joy.
This reaction of the women was a common one after victories as we can see from Exodus 15:20-21; Judges 11:34; compare also Psalms 68:25; Psalms 149:3. The timbrels were probably hand drums, but a number of musical instruments were used.
‘ And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” '
But news had reached them of how David had downed the feared Philistine champion, and it was inevitable that he was the darling of their hearts, as he must indeed have been, for the time being at least, the darling of almost the whole army. And thus as they played they sang “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” It was typical of the hero-worship of young girls for a handsome and popular hero which a wiser head would have laughed at and even teased David about. It was not intended to be a calculated insult. They simply had in mind his victory over Goliath and assumed the rest. They were not intending their words to be analysed.
‘ And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom?” '
But Saul was both suspicious and jealous of David, and thus became very angry. It made him feel that both he and his crown were being demeaned. For Saul always now carried about with him the awareness of his own rejection, and Samuel's warning of his eventual replacement, and this seemed to accentuate it. And so he was both displeased and angry. If David's popularity was ten times more than his own, what more could he have than the kingdom as well? And thus his suspicions of David began to grow.
‘ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.'
And the result was that he ‘eyed David' from that day on. He had him marked down as a possible fulfiller of Samuel's words. We must remember that paranoia is one feature of the disease that Saul suffered from, for David never made any attempt to exalt himself. But it would have huge consequences.