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1 Samuel 18:20–30
Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him” (vv. 20–21a).
In the course of time, Saul is presented with an opportunity to fulfill his promise to David and make some restitution for his broken commitment to give David his oldest daughter. When he receives word that his second daughter, Michal, has fallen in love with David, Saul readily decides to allow the two to marry—but not because he has any desire to do good for David, or even for his daughter. He is still hoping to entice David into danger, and Michal is only the tool by which he plans to make that happen. He hopes Michal will be a ” ‘snare’ ” to David, taking Saul’s side against David even after they are wed. But he also plans once again to require military exploits from David as the price for his daughter’s hand.
Saul sends servants to invite David once more to become his son-in-law. The servants are given a half-true justification for the invitation: ” ‘The king has delight in you [false], and all his servants love you [true].’ ” David again responds with humility, saying he is not fit to marry the king’s daughter because he is ” ‘a poor and lightly esteemed man.’ ” Saul skillfully plays off this response by telling David, as if he is making a concession, that he will not require a large bride price—merely one hundred Philistine foreskins. Of course, David has already fulfilled the condition that Saul originally set for the hand of his daughter—killing Goliath (17:25)—but that doesn’t stop Saul from asking for more. His hope is that David will die in the attempt to kill enough Philistines to meet this ridiculous requirement. Surprisingly, however, David is quite pleased to become the king’s son-in-law under these circumstances. Killing Philistines is something even he, a poor man, can do with God’s aid. Thus, David and his men kill two hundred Philistines and bring this grisly dowry of foreskins to Saul. The king now has no choice but to give Michal to David.
In the end, Saul again is slapped with a reminder that God is with David. And now, to make things worse, David has stolen his daughter’s heart. Then, to top it all off, the Philistines step up their military action (perhaps due to David’s slaughter of two hundred of them), but David skillfully opposes them, further impressing the people. Saul sees all this clear evidence that God is with David and grows more afraid of him, but he also becomes more determined to destroy him.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
It was an honor to David to marry into the king’s family. And, as Matthew Henry points out, “If Kings David thus magnified the honor of being son-in-law to the king, how should we magnify the honor of being sons to the King of kings!” We have been adopted by God. Rejoice in this truth and praise God for your adoption today.
For Further Study
- Rom. 8:14–15
- Gal. 3:26; 4:5
- Eph. 1:5