1 Samuel 18:25
in 1 Samuel 18Saul 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
An hundred foreskins - This is merely another expression of the spirit which led to the constant application of the epithet uncircumcised to the Philistines 1Sa 14:6.
This site's exposition
the king hath delight in thee
on 1 Samuel 18:22-25
Saul has his servants speak to David secretly, so the offer will look like the court's own idea and not the king's trap. David answers with the same self-estimate as before, a poor man, and lightly esteemed, before Saul names his price, not silver but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, dressed as zeal for the covenant of circumcision while Saul's stated aim is to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. Barnes reads the choice of payment itself as one more jab at the people Scripture keeps calling uncircumcised, the label already fixed on Israel's enemy at 14:6.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
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 …
Thus you shall say to David: The king has no need for a dowry, etc. So we may truly understand it as a figure concerning the proud, that they do not think they need the gifts of Christ; but that this alone is required, that …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Saul said, thus shall ye say to David,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Saul's willingness to accept a public service had an air of liberality, while his choice of so difficult and hazardous a service seemed only putting a proper value on gaining the hand of a king's daughter. But he covered unprincipled malice against David under this proposal, which exhibited a zeal for God and the covenant of circumcision.
But a hundred foreskins - That is, Thou shalt slay one hundred Philistines, and thou shalt produce their foreskins, as a proof, not only that thou hast killed one hundred men, but that these are of the uncircumcised. A custom similar to this still prevails among the Abyssinians, according to Bruce. See his Travels.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׁא֜וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| תֹאמְר֣וּ | tomeru | you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְדָוִ֗ד | ledavid | to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֵֽין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| חֵ֤פֶץ | chefetz | delight | H2656 → | |
| לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | lamelekh | [belongs] to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בְּמֹ֔הַר | bemohar | in bride-price | H4119 → | |
| כִּ֗י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְּמֵאָה֙ | bemeah | for a hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| עָרְל֣וֹת | arelot | foreskins of | H6190 → | |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | pelishtim | Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| לְהִנָּקֵ֖ם | lehinakem | to avenge himself | H5358 → | 35 times |
| בְּאֹיְבֵ֣י | beoyevei | on [the] enemies of | H341 → | 282 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְשָׁא֣וּל | veshaul | and Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| חָשַׁ֔ב | chashav | he planned | H2803 → | |
| לְהַפִּ֥יל | lehapil | to make fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּוִ֖ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שָׁא֜וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
תֹאמְר֣וּyou will say
tomeruH559 →5305 times
לְדָוִ֗דto David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
אֵֽין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
חֵ֤פֶץdelight
chefetzH2656 →
לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙[belongs] to the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בְּמֹ֔הַרin bride-price
bemoharH4119 →
כִּ֗יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְּמֵאָה֙for a hundred
bemeahH3967 →581 times
עָרְל֣וֹתforeskins of
arelotH6190 →
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםPhilistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
לְהִנָּקֵ֖םto avenge himself
lehinakemH5358 →35 times
בְּאֹיְבֵ֣יon [the] enemies of
beoyeveiH341 →282 times
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְשָׁא֣וּלand Saul
veshaulH7586 →402 times
חָשַׁ֔בhe planned
chashavH2803 →
לְהַפִּ֥ילto make fall
lehapilH5307 →435 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דָּוִ֖דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
בְּיַד־by [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
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 Samuel 14:24Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken…
it leads to
- Joshua 6:26
At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations;…
- Romans 10:2
For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
- Joshua 6:26
Through
1 Samuel 18:17Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:28
Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you…
- 1 Samuel 17:25
Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he…
- 1 Samuel 18:21
“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a…
- 1 Samuel 17:47
And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our…
- 1 Samuel 25:28
Through
Genesis 34:12Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
it leads to
- Exodus 22:16–17
If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife.
- Exodus 22:16–17
Through
1 Samuel 17:36Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 17:10
Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
- 1 Samuel 17:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Symeon the New Theologian, DISCOURSES 4.2.