1 Samuel 18:5
in 1 Samuel 18So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
KJV
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 18
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHe had approved himself a dutiful son to Jesse his father, and now a dutiful servant to Saul his master; those that are good in one relation it is to be hoped will be so in another. That Jonathan, who was heir to the crown, entered into covenant with him, God so ordering it, that David's way might be the clearer when his rival was his friend.
This site's exposition
So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do
David's own wisdom is stated here and named twice more before the chapter ends, at verses 14 and 15, a repetition too heavy to be filler. Saul sets him over the men of war on the strength of it, and both the people and Saul's own servants receive him well. Gill reads the repeated word as more than tact, a shadow of the Servant who shall deal prudently in Isaiah 52:13.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And David went out to all, etc. Whether the people of the Jews wished to believe in Christ or to oppose Him, whether to make Him king or to crucify Him, He, coeternal with the Father's wisdom, always acted prudently, both by greatly rewarding the …
And he was accepted in the eyes of all the people, etc. The Lord was accepted by all who had those eyes, of which He Himself speaks: Blessed are the eyes that see what you see (Matthew XIII). Especially in the pure heart of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And it was certainly a great instance of the power of God's grace in David that he was able to bear all this respect and honour flowing in upon him on a sudden without being lifted up above measure. Those that climb so fast have need of good heads and good hearts. It is more difficult to know how to abound than how to be abased.
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him,....
The allays of his triumphs. This is the vanity that accompanies even a right work, that "for it a man is envied," Eccl. iv. He hated him, and sought to kill him himself,
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Set him over the men of war - Made him generalissimo; or what we would call field marshal.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּצֵ֨א | vaiyetze' | and he went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| דָוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| בְּכֹל֩ | bekhol | in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִשְׁלָחֶ֤נּוּ | yishlachenu | he sent him | H7971 → | 845 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| יַשְׂכִּ֔יל | yaskil | he prospered | H7919 → | 62 times |
| וַיְשִׂמֵ֣הוּ | vaysimehu | and he appointed him | H7760 → | 584 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֣י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה | hamilchamah | <the> war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| וַיִּיטַב֙ | vaiyitav | and it was good | H3190 → | 117 times |
| בְּעֵינֵ֣י | beeinei | in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְגַ֕ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בְּעֵינֵ֖י | beeinei | in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| עַבְדֵ֥י | ʾavdei | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| שָׁאֽוּל׃ פ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
וַיֵּצֵ֨אand he went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
דָוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
בְּכֹל֩in every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִשְׁלָחֶ֤נּוּhe sent him
yishlachenuH7971 →845 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
יַשְׂכִּ֔ילhe prospered
yaskilH7919 →62 times
וַיְשִׂמֵ֣הוּand he appointed him
vaysimehuH7760 →584 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
עַ֖לover
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
אַנְשֵׁ֣י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה<the> war
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
וַיִּיטַב֙and it was good
vaiyitavH3190 →117 times
בְּעֵינֵ֣יin [the] eyes of
beeineiH5869 →887 times
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וְגַ֕םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
בְּעֵינֵ֖יin [the] eyes of
beeineiH5869 →887 times
עַבְדֵ֥י[the] servants of
ʾavdeiH5650 →799 times
שָׁאֽוּל׃ פSaul
shaulH7586 →402 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
Ephesians 5:17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
it leads to
- Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and…
- Ephesians 5:15
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
- Romans 12:2
Through
Colossians 4:5Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:15–17
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
- James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:12
Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
- James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- Ephesians 5:15–17
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; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.