SAUL ENVIES DAVID FOR HIS GLORIOUS SUCCESS, AND TAKES AN OCCASION OF ENTRAPPING HIM, FROM THE PROMISE HE MADE HIM OF GIVING HIM HIS DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE; BUT THIS UPON CONDITION OF HIS BRINGING HIM SIX HUNDRED HEADS OF THE PHILISTINES. FJAJ 6.59
1. NOW the women were an occasion of Saul's envy and hatred to David;
for they came to meet their victorious army with cymbals, and drums, and
all demonstrations of joy, and sang thus: The wives said, that "Saul
had slain his many thousands of the Philistines." The virgins replied,
that "David had slain his ten thousands." Now, when the king
heard them singing thus, and that he had himself the smallest share in
their commendations, and the greater number, the ten thousands, were ascribed
to the young man; and when he considered with himself that there was nothing
more wanting to David, after such a mighty applause, but the kingdom; he
began to be afraid and suspicious of David
Accordingly he removed him
from the station he was in before, for he was his armor-bearer, which,
out of fear, seemed to him much too near a station for him; and so he made
him captain over a thousand, and bestowed on him a post better indeed in
itself, but, as he thought, more for his own security; for he had a mind
to send him against the enemy, and into battles, as hoping he would be
slain in such dangerous conflicts. FJAJ 6.60
2. But David had God going along with him whithersoever he went, and
accordingly he greatly prospered in his undertakings, and it was visible
that he had mighty success, insomuch that Saul's daughter, who was still
a virgin, fell in love with him; and her affection so far prevailed over
her, that it could not be concealed, and her father became acquainted with
it
Now Saul heard this gladly, as intending to make use of it for a snare
against David, and he hoped that it would prove the cause of destruction
and of hazard to him; so he told those that informed him of his daughter's
affection, that he would willingly give David the virgin in marriage, and
said, "I engage myself to marry my daughter to him if he will bring
me six hundred heads of my enemies (17)
Josephus says thrice in this chapter, and twice afterwards, ch. 11. sect.
2, and B. VII. ch. 1. sect. 4, i.e. five times in all, that Saul required
not a bare hundred of the foreskins of the Philistines, but six hundred
of their heads. The Septuagint have 100 foreskins, but the Syriac and Arabic
200. Now that these were not foreskins, with our other copies, but heads,
with Josephus's copy, seems somewhat probable, from 1 Samuel 29:4, where
all copies say that it was with the heads of such Philistines that David
might reconcile himself to his master, Saul.
supposing that when a reward so ample was proposed to him, and when he
should aim to get him great glory, by undertaking a thing so dangerous
and incredible, he would immediately set about it, and so perish by the
Philistines; and my designs about him will succeed finely to my mind, for
I shall be freed from him, and get him slain, not by myself, but by another
man." So he gave order to his servants to try how David would relish
this proposal of marrying the damsel
Accordingly, they began to speak
thus to him: That king Saul loved him, as well as did all the people, and
that he was desirous of his affinity by the marriage of this damsel
To
which he gave this answer: - "Seemeth it to you a light thing to be
made the king's son-in-law? It does not seem so to me, especially when
I am one of a family that is low, and without any glory or honor."
Now when Saul was informed by his servants what answer David had made,
he said, - "Tell him that I do not want any money nor dowry from him,
which would be rather to set my daughter to sale than to give her in marriage;
but I desire only such a son-in-law as hath in him fortitude, and all other
kinds of virtue," of which he saw David was possessed, and that his
desire was to receive of him, on account of his marrying his daughter,
neither gold nor silver, nor that he should bring such wealth out of his
father's house, but only some revenge on the Philistines, and indeed six
hundred of their heads, than which a more desirable or a more glorious
present could not be brought him, and that he had much rather obtain this,
than any of the accustomed dowries for his daughter, viz
that she should
be married to a man of that character, and to one who had a testimony as
having conquered his enemies. FJAJ 6.61
3. When these words of Saul were brought to David, he was pleased with
them, and supposed that Saul was really desirous of this affinity with
him; so that without bearing to deliberate any longer, or casting about
in his mind whether what was proposed was possible, or was difficult or
not, he and his companions immediately set upon the enemy, and went about
doing what was proposed as the condition of the marriage
Accordingly,
because it was God who made all things easy and possible to David, he slew
many [of the Philistines], and cut off the heads of six hundred of them,
and came to the king, and by showing him these heads of the Philistines,
required that he might have his daughter in marriage
Accordingly, Saul
having no way of getting off his engagements, as thinking it a base thing
either to seem a liar when he promised him this marriage, or to appear
to have acted treacherously by him, in putting him upon what was in a manner
impossible, in order to have him slain, he gave him his daughter in marriage:
her name was Michal. FJAJ 6.62