1 Samuel 18:29 kjv
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.
1 Samuel 18:29 nkjv
and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually.
1 Samuel 18:29 niv
Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
1 Samuel 18:29 esv
Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually.
1 Samuel 18:29 nlt
Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David's enemy for the rest of his life.
1 Samuel 18 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 18:12 | "Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him..." | Saul's initial fear, based on God's presence. |
| 1 Sam 18:15 | "...Saul stood in awe of him." | Reinforces Saul's fear of David's success. |
| 1 Sam 18:28 | "And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David..." | Saul's awareness of divine favor on David. |
| 1 Sam 16:14 | "Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul..." | Contrast with David, explains Saul's decline. |
| 1 Sam 19:1 | "Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants that they should kill David." | Escalation of enmity to active murder plot. |
| 1 Sam 20:31 | "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established." | Saul's deep-seated motive: security of his throne. |
| 1 Sam 23:14 | "...Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand." | Continuous pursuit, demonstrating Saul's unyielding enmity. |
| Ps 35:19 | "Do not let those gloat over me who are wrongfully my enemies..." | Reflects David's experience of unjust enemies. |
| Ps 38:19 | "But my enemies are vigorous and mighty; And many are those who hate me wrongfully." | David's frequent laments about his numerous foes. |
| Ps 1:3 | "He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season..." | David's prosperity due to God's blessing. |
| Deut 28:7 | "The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you..." | Principle of divine protection for the faithful. |
| Prov 29:25 | "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be safe." | Saul's fear of David is a snare. |
| Mk 6:19-20 | Herod's enmity towards John the Baptist, fear yet respect for righteous. | A ruler's mixed emotions toward a righteous one. |
| Jn 15:18 | "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you." | Anticipates righteous being hated for divine connection. |
| Gal 4:29 | "...the one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also." | The persecution of the one Spirit-empowered by flesh. |
| Gen 3:15 | "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring..." | Protoevangelium, primeval enmity established. |
| Ps 7:1 | "O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me..." | David's reliance on God amidst pursuers. |
| Ps 54:5 | "He will return the evil to my foes..." | David's trust in God's judgment over enemies. |
| Job 5:21 | "You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not be afraid of destruction when it comes." | Promise of protection from malicious talk/plots. |
| Jas 4:4 | "...whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." | The source of enmity stems from opposing God. |
| Isa 59:19 | "...the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." | God fights for His chosen against adversaries. |
1 Samuel 18 verses
1 Samuel 18 29 Meaning
This verse details the intense and continuous psychological state of King Saul regarding David. It reveals that Saul's existing fear of David was not only amplified but became a deeper, unchanging enmity. Saul's actions henceforth would be driven by this pervasive fear and hostility, setting him in constant opposition to David. It marks a critical turning point where Saul's personal vendetta solidified and dictated his policy.
1 Samuel 18 29 Context
1 Samuel Chapter 18 marks a critical shift in the relationship between Saul and David. Initially, David's victory over Goliath brings him favor with Saul and the people. However, David's escalating popularity, especially following the women's song, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands," ignites fierce jealousy and paranoia in Saul. This chapter chronicles Saul's deteriorating mental state and his attempts to harm David—first by direct spear throws, then by sending him into dangerous battles against the Philistines, hoping David would be killed. Despite these treacherous schemes, David continuously prospers, largely because "the Lord was with him." Saul's attempts to use his elder daughter Merab, and then his younger daughter Michal, to entrap David financially or militarily, also fail, leading to David successfully marrying Michal. This verse immediately follows the account of David marrying Michal, cementing his ties to the royal family and demonstrating his persistent favor with God and the people, thus escalating Saul's fear to a perpetual, unwavering enmity. The historical context reflects a king, Saul, losing divine favor due to disobedience (1 Sam 15) and subsequently being tormented by an evil spirit (1 Sam 16:14), contrasting sharply with David, whom God chose and blessed. Saul's actions become a tragic display of a ruler fighting against God's anointed one, driven by envy and a desperate attempt to maintain his faltering authority.
1 Samuel 18 29 Word analysis
- And Saul: Refers to King Saul, the reigning monarch, now experiencing severe psychological distress and spiritual decline. His actions are those of an unrighteous king battling against God's divine will.
- was even more afraid: The Hebrew verb is
yare'(יָרֵא), meaning "to fear, be afraid." The phrase "even more" or "increased" (vayyoseph layaroh- "he continued to be afraid/added to his fear") highlights an intensification of a pre-existing fear, first noted in 1 Sam 18:12. This signifies a deepening paranoia, not just a passing apprehension, evolving into an entrenched state of mind that controls his decisions. This is more than natural fear; it's a crippling, obsessive dread fueled by jealousy and the perceived threat to his throne. - of David: David, God's chosen successor and a man blessed by God's presence, is the object of Saul's escalating dread. David's righteous conduct and success ironically became the trigger for Saul's irrational fear and hatred.
- and Saul was David's enemy: The Hebrew word for enemy is
oyeb(אוֹיֵב), an active adversary. This isn't just disliking; it implies a state of persistent hostility and opposition, actively seeking to harm or undermine. This confirms the transition from a strained relationship to one of open antagonism from Saul's side, solidified by repeated treacherous actions. - continually: The Hebrew phrase is
kol-ha-yamim(כָּל־הַיָּמִים), literally "all the days." This adverb emphasizes the perpetual, unceasing nature of Saul's animosity. It wasn't a temporary outburst but became a defining characteristic of Saul's reign, leading to years of relentless pursuit of David. This enduring hostility showcases the depth of Saul's spiritual sickness and his fixed opposition to God's chosen.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And Saul was even more afraid of David": This phrase highlights the deepening psychological torment of Saul. His initial fear (1 Sam 18:12) has grown, fueled by David's consistent success and the Lord's clear favor. It points to Saul's spiritual and mental decline, where rational thought is overcome by paranoia and envy, turning the chosen king into an antagonist of God's plan.
- "and Saul was David's enemy continually": This indicates a settled, permanent state of animosity. "Enemy" (
oyeb) denotes active hostility, not passive dislike. "Continually" (kol-ha-yamim) means this was an unceasing, defining characteristic of Saul's approach to David for the rest of his reign, leading to a long period of persecution. This wasn't a fleeting emotion but a fundamental posture. It reveals Saul's rejection of God's will and his persistent resistance to God's anointed one, a tragic figure consumed by envy.
1 Samuel 18 29 Bonus section
The persistence of Saul's enmity foreshadows a spiritual principle: those whom God blesses and chooses often face severe, sustained opposition from those who feel threatened or are outside of God's favor. Saul's unwavering hatred against David also serves as a potent warning against unchecked envy and spiritual bitterness in leadership. His fear was ultimately rooted in his desire to control his own destiny and retain power, rather than submitting to God's sovereign will, a fatal flaw that consumed him. This fear of David directly contradicts the reverence due to God, revealing a misdirected heart. The consistent use of "Lord was with him" for David (e.g., 1 Sam 18:12, 14, 28) explicitly explains why Saul's fear deepened and why his enmity became perpetual: Saul was fighting against the very hand of God.
1 Samuel 18 29 Commentary
This concise verse powerfully encapsulates the irreversible decline of King Saul and the escalating conflict with David. Saul's "fear" was not a rational assessment of David's loyalty, but an intense dread born of jealousy, realizing God's presence was with David and no longer with himself. This fear metastasized into an unyielding, perpetual "enmity." Saul saw David not as a faithful servant but as an existential threat to his throne and legacy. This marked a profound turning point: Saul's reign ceased to be primarily about governing Israel and became consumed by a futile war against God's chosen future king. The "continually" emphasizes the unwavering, obsessive nature of Saul's hatred, shaping all his future interactions and demonstrating how jealousy, when unaddressed, can utterly corrupt a leader and his rule. It underscores the spiritual reality that to be an enemy of God's chosen is, ultimately, to be an enemy of God Himself.