1 Samuel 18:25 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.
1 Samuel 18:25 nkjv
Then Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David: 'The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.' " But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18:25 niv
Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.'?" Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18:25 esv
Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.'" Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18:25 nlt
he told them, "Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want." But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
1 Samuel 18 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 18:8-9 | Saul was very angry... “They have ascribed to David ten thousands... what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day on. | Saul's deep jealousy and fear of David. |
| 1 Sam 18:12 | Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. | The source of Saul's fear: God's presence with David. |
| 1 Sam 18:14 | And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him. | God's constant blessing and protection over David. |
| 1 Sam 18:21 | For Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” | Saul's wicked intent behind the dowry request. |
| 1 Sam 18:29 | Saul was still more afraid of David... | Saul's fear and animosity increased after David's success. |
| Gen 29:18 | Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” | Traditional practice of serving as a "dowry" (bride price). |
| Ex 22:17 | If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins. | Biblical mention of dowry as a standard payment. |
| Judg 14:12 | Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you... I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” | Payment/reward as a test, albeit a different context. |
| 1 Sam 17:26 | For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? | Philistines as "uncircumcised," signifying their separation from God's covenant people. |
| Psa 7:14-16 | Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief... His mischief returns upon his own head. | The principle that schemes against the righteous backfire on the plotter. |
| Psa 37:12-15 | The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him... Their sword shall enter their own heart. | God watches and thwarts the plans of the wicked. |
| Prov 19:21 | Many are the plans in the heart of man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. | Human plans, especially wicked ones, are subject to God's ultimate purpose. |
| Psa 57:6 | They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. | Echoes the fate of those who dig pits for others. |
| Psa 18:1-3 | I love you, O LORD, my strength... my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge... from all my enemies and from those who hate me. | David's trust in God as his deliverer from all foes. |
| Psa 23:4 | Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. | David's courage stemmed from God's presence, relevant to a deadly task. |
| 1 Sam 20:3 | Then David vowed again, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Jonathan must not know this, or he will be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” | David's awareness of the mortal danger Saul placed him in. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. | God's ability to turn even evil intentions into good for His elect. |
| Gen 50:20 | As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good... | Joseph's testimony about human evil and divine providence, applicable to David's situation. |
| 1 Sam 16:13 | Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. | God's anointing on David, setting him apart and guaranteeing His protection. |
| 2 Sam 3:14 | Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” | David's later recollection of the event, reaffirming the "dowry." |
| 1 Kgs 11:25 | Hadad also was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon... | The continuous nature of "enemies of the king" and the kingdom. |
| 2 Sam 21:15 | The Philistines were at war again with Israel, and David went down with his servants and fought against the Philistines... | Continued conflict with the Philistines even after Saul's reign, emphasizing them as persistent enemies. |
1 Samuel 18 verses
1 Samuel 18 25 Meaning
This verse details David's cunning and obedient response to King Saul's demand for an unusual and perilous "dowry" for his daughter Michal: not wealth, but a hundred Philistine foreskins. David's reply frames this as a loyal act of avenging the king's enemies, thereby agreeing to the deadly challenge while skillfully maintaining his honorable position as a loyal subject. Saul's hidden agenda was to send David into a situation where he would surely be killed by the Philistines.
1 Samuel 18 25 Context
1 Samuel 18 opens with David's popularity soaring after his victory over Goliath. His initial successes in military command further cemented his public acclaim. This rapid rise directly threatened King Saul, whose kingdom was now implicitly being compared to David's growing fame. Driven by profound jealousy and fear, and knowing that the Lord had departed from him and was with David, Saul sought to eliminate David. Initially, he attempted to kill David directly by throwing a spear. When that failed, Saul began devising subtle plots to have David killed by external enemies, particularly the Philistines. The offer of Michal, Saul's daughter, as David's wife was part of this insidious scheme. This specific verse (1 Samuel 18:25) records David's calculated response to the treacherous "dowry" demand for Michal's hand.
1 Samuel 18 25 Word analysis
- "And David answered,": David's active engagement. This is not a passive acceptance of a fate, but a deliberate verbal response, showing his awareness of the situation and his readiness to act. He is respectful yet poised.
- "Tell Saul,": A direct instruction to the messengers, indicating that the message is precisely crafted for the king himself. This maintains the official, deferential tone appropriate for a subject addressing a sovereign, even in a perilous situation.
- "The king desires no dowry": The Hebrew word for dowry is mohar (מוֹהַר). A mohar was the traditional bride price paid by the groom or his family to the bride's father as compensation for giving up his daughter and to provide security for the woman (Gen 34:12, Ex 22:16-17). David is being ironic; while feigning humility that the king shouldn't bother with an expensive mohar, he subtly acknowledges the extraordinary, deadly "dowry" that Saul actually demands.
- "but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines,": This is the shocking and grotesque "dowry" devised by Saul. Foreskins (`oralot) from the Philistines, specifically, were sought as proof of their death and, more significantly, as a deep humiliation. The Philistines were "uncircumcised," distinguishing them from the covenant people of Israel. Bringing their foreskins would be a supreme sign of their defeat, their desecration, and their absolute subjugation, acting as a profound symbolic victory for Israel. It was a measure intended by Saul to be suicidal for David, yet also a "test" of David's dedication to eliminating Israel's fiercest enemy.
- "to avenge himself on the king's enemies.": The Hebrew for "to avenge himself" is le-hinnaqem (לְהִנָּקֵם), signifying the act of taking vengeance. "The king's enemies" is oyvei ha-melekh (אויבֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ). David frames the task not as a payment for a wife, but as an act of loyal military service to his king and country. This publicly acceptable motive for conflict aligns David with Saul's legitimate concerns for national security and justice, subtly redirecting attention from the treacherous personal vendetta to the noble cause of protecting Israel. It reinforces David's loyalty and diminishes any suspicion about his intentions, portraying him as a selfless warrior dedicated to the kingdom's welfare.
1 Samuel 18 25 Bonus section
The doubling of the dowry to two hundred foreskins, as explicitly stated in 1 Samuel 18:27, is a crucial detail. David was asked for one hundred but brought two hundred, demonstrating his exceptional military prowess and, more significantly, God's clear protection over him. This over-fulfillment served as irrefutable proof of David's triumph over the Philistines and, implicitly, over Saul's murderous plot. It further highlighted David's exceptional favor with God, exacerbating Saul's fear and jealousy. The demand itself was a calculated dehumanization of the Philistines, emphasizing their paganism and status as uncircumcised, a religious and cultural marker of "otherness" and enmity. This act not only humiliated Israel's foes but also ironically magnified David's stature right under Saul's nose, proving that human malice cannot thwart divine purpose.
1 Samuel 18 25 Commentary
1 Samuel 18:25 encapsulates the sinister depths of Saul's jealousy and the profound wisdom and courage granted to David by God. Saul, increasingly consumed by paranoia and spiritual decay, concocts a plan using the sacred institution of marriage. He offers his daughter Michal to David, but demands a "dowry" so impossible and dangerous – a hundred Philistine foreskins – that he fully expects David to perish in the attempt. David's response demonstrates remarkable discernment and trust in the Lord. He understands the trap but accepts the challenge, artfully framing it as a dutiful act of "avenging the king's enemies," thereby upholding his integrity and commitment to Israel. This divine protection and enablement not only ensured David's survival but also resulted in the grotesque demand being fulfilled twice over (1 Sam 18:27), turning Saul's evil design into a public testament of David's prowess and God's favor, further cementing his rise.