Saul Has Slain His Thousands
1 When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash. 5 David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7 The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 8 Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” 9 Saul watched David from that day and forward. 10 On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him. 15 When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
A prince gives away his robe and his sword; a king counts the numbers in a song and starts throwing spears.
When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
The covenant between them is the book's one wholly good relationship, and Jonathan's first act inside it is the astonishing one: Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash 1 Samuel 18:4. The crown prince hands his royal robe and his weapons — one of the two swords in Israel 1 Samuel 13:22 — to the man everyone can see is the coming king. It is an abdication performed as a gift, and it is the exact opposite of his father's grip. Jonathan is the book's proof that a man can be passed over and remain generous.
The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
The song is a victory chant with the parallelism Hebrew poetry runs on — the second line intensifying the first, not auditing it — and Saul hears an audit. They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom? 1 Samuel 18:8. He is not wrong about the conclusion; he is wrong about what to do with it. Told plainly by a prophet that the kingdom was already given away 1 Samuel 15:28, he chooses to fight the verdict rather than yield to it — and jealousy, which always keeps a scoreboard, has found its number.
Saul watched David from that day and forward.
One of the saddest sentences in Scripture, and one of the most recognizable: the watching that is not admiration. Everything after it is surveillance.
and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.
The torment returns and the harp comes out — David still doing the kindness, day by day — and the king hurls a spear at the man playing music to soothe him. The spear becomes Saul's signature: thrown again at David 1 Samuel 19:10, and one night at his own son 1 Samuel 20:33. What began as a scoreboard ends as a weapon in the hand of a man who no longer distinguishes threats from family.
Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul.
The narrator names the fear's root, and it is not David's ambition — David has done nothing but serve. It is God's presence, felt in someone else and missing in oneself. So Saul reassigns him to field command, hoping distance will help, and every promotion makes it worse: David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and Yahweh was with him 1 Samuel 18:14, and all Israel and Judah loved him. A man running from a verdict discovers that every road he takes to escape it is paved with its evidence.
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