The Skeptics Annotated Bible (273 page)

(17.55)
“Whose son is this youth?”
In this passage Saul can’t even recognize David, yet according to 16.21-22 Saul knows David very well indeed.
187 When did Saul meet David?

56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.

18
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that
the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments
, even to his sword, and to his bow,
and
to
his girdle.

(18.1-4)
“The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul … And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments … and … his girdle.”

5 And
David
went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and
behaved himself wisely
: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

(18.5)
“David … behaved himself wisely.”
Like when he buys his first wife with 200 Philistine foreskins a little later in this chapter.

6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said,
Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

(18.7)
“Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
David and Saul have a contest to see who can kill the most people for God, and the women act as cheerleaders saying, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9 And
Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

(18.9)
“Saul eyed David from that day and forward.”
190 When did Saul become David’s enemy?

10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that
the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied
in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.

(18.10)
“The evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied.”

11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12 And
Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

(18.12)
“Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.”

13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14 And
David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.

(18.14)
“David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.”
Read the story in 18.25-28 to see an example of David’s wise behavior when God is with him.

15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

16 But
all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

(18.16)
“All Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.”