1 Samuel 18:12 - Meaning and Application

Saul had, in effect, declared war on David. He first showed open hatred when he threw a spear at him. Now the writer shows how that hatred grew, and how David handled Saul’s attacks.

First, notice how Saul showed his malice toward David. He was afraid of him (1 Samuel 18:12). Saul may have pretended to fear that David would try to seize the throne by force. People who plan evil against others often want to make it look like others are the threat. But David’s withdrawal (1 Samuel 18:11) clearly showed that he had no such plan.

Still, Saul really did fear David, much like Herod feared John the Baptist (Mark 6:20). Saul knew that he had lost God’s favor, while David still had God with him, and that made David stand out. People who truly have God with them are the ones who are truly great and worthy of respect. The more wisely David behaved, the more Saul feared him, (1 Samuel 18:15, 1 Samuel 18:29).

People often think fear comes from threats and harshness. That may scare foolish people, but wise and good people end up despising such behavior. The better way to earn both respect and affection is to act wisely. Wisdom gives a person honor and makes others take notice.

Second, Saul removed David from the court and gave him command in the country (1 Samuel 18:13). He made him captain over 1,000 soldiers so that David would be out of sight, because Saul hated seeing him. He also hoped David would not win over the people at court. But Saul handled this badly, because it gave David a chance to win the love of the people, and they did love him (1 Samuel 18:16). David led their affairs, both civil and military, and he pleased everyone.

Third, Saul pushed David into dangerous fighting with the Philistines (1 Samuel 18:17). He made it sound as if this would honor David and help his king. He also said it would serve God, since David would be fighting the Lord’s battles. Saul even tied this to the promise of marriage with his elder daughter, which David had already earned by killing Goliath, the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17:25). David had been modest and had not demanded the reward. Now Saul used that promise as bait, hoping David would die in battle. Yet how could Saul expect that, when he could see that God was with David?

Fourth, Saul tried to stir up David’s anger by breaking his promise and giving the daughter to another man when she should have been given to David (1 Samuel 18:19). This was a deep insult, touching both David’s honor and his love. Saul thought David might react badly in words or actions, which would give Saul a reason to act against him through legal means. That is how wicked people look for trouble.

Fifth, when Saul’s first scheme failed, he offered David his other daughter, Michal, who seems to have loved David in secret (1 Samuel 18:20), but he meant to trap him with the marriage itself (1 Samuel 18:21). Maybe Saul hoped Michal would stay loyal to her father and help him harm David. More likely, he hoped the marriage terms would bring about David’s death. Saul demanded that David kill 100 Philistines and bring back proof of the killings by bringing their foreskins. This was meant to shame the Philistines, who rejected circumcision, God’s covenant sign. Saul also hoped David would anger them more and make them seek revenge, which was really what Saul wanted. He wanted David to fall by the Philistines (1 Samuel 18:25).

Here we see what lies wicked people tell themselves. Saul’s conscience would not let him openly aim at David’s life, except when the evil spirit was on him. Even Saul could not ignore how innocent and admirable David was. So he told himself that exposing David to the Philistines was different from killing him himself. But before God, that hateful plan was just as much murder as if Saul had struck the blow himself.

We also see how wicked people fool others. Saul spoke as if he cared deeply for David, even while he planned his ruin. “You will be my son-in-law,” he said (1 Samuel 18:21), though he hated David bitterly. David likely had this in mind when he wrote of an enemy whose words were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart (Psalm 55:21). Saul then sent his servants to urge David to accept the marriage with Michal (1 Samuel 18:22), probably because he feared David might refuse after the earlier trick with the elder daughter (1 Samuel 18:19), or because the new terms were so hard.

Now see how David behaved when Saul’s anger rose so high. He behaved wisely in all he did. He understood Saul’s jealousy, so he was careful in everything he said and did. He did not complain about being treated unfairly, and he did not build a faction around himself. Instead, he carried out his duties faithfully, as a man who wanted to serve his king and his country well. He treated his rise as a chance to serve, not as a chance to seek power. The Lord was with him and gave him success in all he did.

David may have won Saul’s dislike, but he gained God’s favor. Compare this with David’s own promise in (Psalm 101:2), where he said he would walk wisely. He kept that promise here. His prayer in the same psalm was that God would come to him, and God answered that prayer here: the Lord was with him. Worldly success may seem to favor the foolish, but God blesses those who act wisely.

When the king’s offer of marriage was made, David received it with great modesty and humility, and he did so more than once.

When Saul first offered David his older daughter in marriage (1 Samuel 18:18), David replied, “Who am I, and what is my life?” Later, when the courtier offered the younger daughter, David did not react to Saul’s slight in giving the older daughter to someone else. He kept the same humble spirit and said, “Does it seem a small thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little respected?” (1 Samuel 18:23).

David knew Michal loved him, yet he did not try to use her affection to win her without Saul’s consent. He waited until the offer was made to him. In this, we see how highly he valued the honor offered to him, and how humbly he thought of himself. Though Saul was only a new king, and in origin no better than David, David still spoke of the king and his family with proper respect. Religion does not make people rude or unmannerly. It teaches us to give honor where honor is due.

David’s words, “Who am I?” did not come from a weak or cowardly spirit. When needed, he showed that he had a strong sense of honor like any man. Nor did he say this because he was suspicious of Saul, though he had reason to fear hidden danger. It came from real humility. David was a man with many reasons to value himself. He came from an honorable family in Judah, was handsome, wise in government, skilled in war, and had already done great things. He had killed Goliath and won Michal’s heart. He also knew that God had chosen him to rule Israel, and still he said, “Who am I, and what is my life?” It is fitting for us to think lowly of ourselves, no matter how much God has lifted us up. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. And if David valued the honor of becoming the king’s son-in-law so much, how much more should we value the honor of being sons, not by law but by the gospel, of the King of kings! “See what kind of love the Father has given us” (1 John 3:1). Who are we that we should be given such dignity?

When Saul made the death of 100 Philistines the condition for David to marry his daughter, David accepted gladly (1 Samuel 18:26). Before the time limit ended, he doubled the number and killed 200 (1 Samuel 18:27). He did not act as if he suspected Saul meant to harm him, though he had plenty of reason to do so. Instead, he behaved as if Saul truly meant to honor him. That was fitting for a brave soldier and a true lover, though we may imagine it caused hardship for Michal.

David also showed great trust in God’s protection. He knew the Lord was with him, so he did not fear falling in battle against the Philistines, even though this task exposed him to real danger. He also showed a strong love for his country, because he was willing to serve it even at the risk of his life. And he had the right view of honor, which is found more in deserving honor than in receiving it. David was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law only when the price was set so high, because he cared more about being worthy of the honor than simply getting it. He could not enjoy the position until he had earned it.

Even after he was married, David kept serving Israel well. When the Philistine princes gathered for another war, David was ready to stand against them, and he acted more wisely than all Saul’s other servants (1 Samuel 18:30). The law allowed a man to stay home from war during the first year after marriage (Deuteronomy 24:5), but David loved his country too much to use that allowance. Many people are eager to serve the public when they are seeking advancement, but once they get what they want, they pull back. David was different. He served from better motives.

We can also see how God turned Saul’s own scheme to David’s good. Saul gave him his daughter as a trap, but that marriage helped David in one way. As Saul’s son-in-law, it would later seem less threatening for David to succeed him, especially after so many of Saul’s sons died with him (1 Samuel 31:2). Saul also hoped that dangerous missions would remove David, but those very efforts made David more respected by the people. The more he fought the Philistines, the more the people loved him, and his name became highly regarded (1 Samuel 18:30). That would make his rise to the throne easier. In this way, God makes even human anger serve his praise, and he uses it to carry out his kind purposes for his people.