18:1
The Covenant of Yonathan and the Paranoia of the King
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Shaul, that the soul of Yonathan was knit with the soul of Dawid, and Yonathan loved him as his own soul.
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1 Shamu'al 18
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And Shaul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.
18:3
The Transfer of the Royal Armor
Then Yonathan and Dawid made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
18:4
And Yonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to Dawid, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
18:5
The Elevation of Dawid
And Dawid went out whithersoever Shaul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Shaul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Shaul's servants.
18:6
The Acoustic Trigger of Jealousy
And it came to pass as they came, when Dawid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Yashar'al, singing and dancing, to meet king Shaul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
18:7
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, "Shaul hath slain his thousands, and Dawid his ten thousands."
18:8
And Shaul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed unto Dawid ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?"
18:9
And Shaul eyed Dawid from that day and forward.
18:10
The Descent of the Evil Spirit and the Javelin
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from Alahiym came upon Shaul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and Dawid played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Shaul's hand.
18:11
And Shaul cast the javelin; for he said, "I will smite Dawid even to the wall with it." And Dawid avoided out of his presence twice.
18:12
The Fear of the Unanointed
And Shaul was afraid of Dawid, because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was with him, and was departed from Shaul.
18:13
Therefore Shaul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
18:14
And Dawid behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was with him.
18:15
Wherefore when Shaul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
18:16
But all Yashar'al and Yahudah loved Dawid, because he went out and came in before them.
18:17
The Snare of the Royal Marriages
And Shaul said to Dawid, "Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄's battles." For Shaul said, "Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him."
18:18
And Dawid said unto Shaul, "Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Yashar'al, that I should be son in law to the king?"
18:19
But it came to pass at the time when Merab Shaul's daughter should have been given to Dawid, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
18:20
The Snare of Michal
And Michal Shaul's daughter loved Dawid: and they told Shaul, and the thing pleased him.
18:21
And Shaul 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." Wherefore Shaul said to Dawid, "Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain."
18:22
And Shaul commanded his servants, saying, "Commune with Dawid secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law."
18:23
And Shaul's servants spake those words in the ears of Dawid. And Dawid 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?"
18:24
And the servants of Shaul told him, saying, "On this manner spake Dawid."
18:25
The Dowry of Blood
And Shaul said, "Thus shall ye say to Dawid, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies." But Shaul thought to make Dawid fall by the hand of the Philistines.
18:26
And when his servants told Dawid these words, it pleased Dawid well to be the king's son in law: and the days were not expired.
18:27
The Double Extraction
Wherefore Dawid arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and Dawid brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Shaul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
18:28
The Perpetual Enmity of Shaul
And Shaul saw and knew that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was with Dawid, and that Michal Shaul's daughter loved him.
18:29
And Shaul was yet the more afraid of Dawid; and Shaul became Dawid's enemy continually.
18:30
Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that Dawid behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Shaul; so that his name was much set by.