1 Samuel 18:23
in 1 Samuel 18But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
KJV
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?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 18
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A poor man and lightly esteemed - Compare Psa 119:141. Poor, and therefore unable to pay a sufficient dowry. See 1Sa 18:25.
This site's exposition
Speak to David privately
on 1 Samuel 18:22-25
Saul has his servants speak to David privately. Saul names his price, "a hundred Philistine foreskins," intending David’s death "at the hands of the Philistines" in the attempt. Barnes reads the payment as a jab at the people Scripture calls uncircumcised, the label fixed on them at 14:6.
This site's exposition
I am a poor man and lightly esteemed
Albert Barnes reads poor as a matter of money. The son-in-law of the king owed a dowry fit for a princess, and David had none to give. Saul answers that exact difficulty in verse 25 by naming a price paid in Philistine lives.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Why did Saul seek to apprehend and kill David whom he had formerly honored as himself and greatly loved as a benefactor? Was it by nature or out of an evil will? Obviously it was out of ill will. No one is born evil by …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Though his king was but an upstart, in his original as mean as himself, in his management no better than he should be, yet, being a crowned head, he speaks of him and the royal family with all due respect. Note, Religion is so far from teaching us to be rude and unmannerly that it does not allow us to be so. We must render honour to whom honour is due.
And Saul's servants spake these words in the ears of David,....
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּ | vaydaberu | and they spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עַבְדֵ֤י | ʾavdei | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| בְּאָזְנֵ֣י | beazenei | in [the] ears of | H241 → | 187 times |
| דָוִ֔ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| הַֽנְקַלָּ֤ה | hankalah | ¿ trifling | H7043 → | 82 times |
| בְעֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ | veeineikhem | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הִתְחַתֵּ֣ן | hitchaten | [is] to be son-in-law | H2859 → | 33 times |
| בַּמֶּ֔לֶךְ | bamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְאָנֹכִ֖י | veanokhi | and I | H595 → | 359 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | [am] a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| רָ֥שׁ | rash | poor | H7326 → | |
| וְנִקְלֶֽה׃ | venikleh | and lightly esteemed | H7034 → |
וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּand they spoke
vaydaberuH1696 →1141 times
עַבְדֵ֤י[the] servants of
ʾavdeiH5650 →799 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
בְּאָזְנֵ֣יin [the] ears of
beazeneiH241 →187 times
דָוִ֔דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִ֖יםthe words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
הַֽנְקַלָּ֤ה¿ trifling
hankalahH7043 →82 times
בְעֵֽינֵיכֶם֙in view your
veeineikhemH5869 →887 times
הִתְחַתֵּ֣ן[is] to be son-in-law
hitchatenH2859 →33 times
בַּמֶּ֔לֶךְto the king
bamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְאָנֹכִ֖יand I
veanokhiH595 →359 times
אִֽישׁ־[am] a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
רָ֥שׁpoor
rashH7326 →
וְנִקְלֶֽה׃and lightly esteemed
veniklehH7034 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 3:1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is…
it leads to
- John 1:12
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- Galatians 3:26
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 6:18
And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
- Galatians 4:5–6
to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.
- John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- John 1:12
Through
Proverbs 14:20The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:4
Wealth attracts many friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
- Proverbs 10:15
The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
- Proverbs 19:4
Through
1 Samuel 9:21Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:17
And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel
- 1 Samuel 15:17
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Symeon the New Theologian, DISCOURSES 4.2.