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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

1 Samuel 18:7

In their merrymaking the women sang, "Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Joy;   Music;   Prudence;   Victories;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;   Music;   Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Answer;   Dancing;   War;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Dancing;   David;   Philistia, philistines;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - War, Holy War;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dance;   Marriage;   Poetry;   Saul;   Women;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hymn;   Music, Instruments, Dancing;   Poetry;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Judges (1);   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Numbers (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Music;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Triumphs;   War;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Company;   David;   Merab;   Number;   Poetry, Hebrew;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Army;   Courage;   Dancing;   Poetry;   Rime;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As they danced, the women sang:
Hebrew Names Version
The women sang one to another as they played, and said, Sha'ul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands.
King James Version
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Lexham English Bible
And the women sang as they danced, and they said, "Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his ten thousands!"
English Standard Version
And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
New Century Version
As they played, they sang, "Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands."
New English Translation
The women who were playing the music sang, "Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!"
Amplified Bible
The women sang as they played and danced, saying, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."
New American Standard Bible
The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the women sang by course in their play, and sayd, Saul hath slayne his thousand, & Dauid his ten thousand.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the women sang as they were merry and said,"Saul has struck his thousands,And David his ten thousands."
Contemporary English Version
They sang: Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies!
Darby Translation
And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath smitten his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
Easy-to-Read Version
The women sang, "Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands."
George Lamsa Translation
And the women sang as they played, and laughed, saying, Saul has slain by thousands, and David by tens of thousands.
Good News Translation
In their celebration the women sang, "Saul has killed thousands, but David tens of thousands."
Literal Translation
And the women who were playing answered and said, Saul has slain his thousands, but David his myriads.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the wemen sange one to another, and played & sayde: Saul hath smytten his thousande: but Dauid his ten thousande.
American Standard Version
And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
Bible in Basic English
And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the women aunswered one another in their play, and sayde: Saul hath slaine his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the women sang one to another in their play, and said: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
King James Version (1611)
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slaine his thousands, and Dauid his ten thousands.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the women began the strain, and said, Saul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
English Revised Version
And the women sang one to another in their play, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Berean Standard Bible
And as the women danced, they sang out: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the wymmen sungen, pleiynge, and seiynge, Saul smoot a thousynde, and Dauid smoot ten thousynde.
Young's Literal Translation
and the women answer -- those playing, and say, `Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.'
Update Bible Version
And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
World English Bible
The women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands.
New King James Version
So the women sang as they danced, and said: "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."
New Living Translation
This was their song: "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!"
New Life Bible
The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
New Revised Standard
And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the women that made merry responded to each other in song, and said, - Saul, hath smitten, his thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Revised Standard Version
And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

Contextual Overview

6 As David and the others were returning from the slaughter of the P'lishti, the women came out of all the cities of Isra'el to meet King Sha'ul, singing and dancing joyfully with tambourines and three-stringed instruments. 7 In their merrymaking the women sang, "Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands." 8 Sha'ul became very angry, because this song displeased him. He said, "They give David credit for tens of thousands, but me they give credit for only thousands. Now all he lacks is the kingdom!" 9 From that day on, Sha'ul viewed David with suspicion. 10 The following day an evil spirit from God came powerfully over Sha'ul, so that he fell into a frenzy in the house. David was there, playing his lyre as on other occasions. This time Sha'ul had his spear in his hand; 11 and he threw the spear, thinking, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David dodged out of the way twice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

answered: Exodus 15:21, Psalms 24:7, Psalms 24:8

Saul: 1 Samuel 21:11, 1 Samuel 29:5

Reciprocal: Judges 11:34 - his daughter 1 Samuel 14:49 - name of the firstborn Psalms 62:9 - Surely Psalms 75:3 - I bear Proverbs 27:21 - so Jeremiah 31:4 - again Daniel 3:12 - certain Matthew 27:18 - he

Cross-References

Genesis 18:15
(ii) Sarah denied it, saying, "I didn't either laugh," because she was afraid. He said, "Not so — you did laugh."
Genesis 18:16
The men set out from there and looked over toward S'dom, and Avraham went with them to see them on their way.
Genesis 19:3
But he kept pressing them; so they went home with him; and he made them a meal, baking matzah for their supper, which they ate.
Amos 6:4
You lie on beds of ivory and lounge sprawled out on your couches, dining on meat from lambs in the flock and from calves fattened in stalls.
Malachi 1:14
"Moreover, cursed is the deceiver who has a male animal in his flock that is damaged, but vows and sacrifices to Adonai anyway. For I am a great king," says Adonai -Tzva'ot, "and my name is respected among the nations.
Matthew 22:4
So he sent some more slaves, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, I've prepared my banquet, I've slaughtered my bulls and my fattened cattle, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding!'
Luke 15:23
and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let's eat and have a celebration!
Luke 15:27
The servant told him, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father has slaughtered the calf that was fattened up, because he has gotten him back safe and sound.'
Luke 15:30
Yet this son of yours comes, who squandered your property with prostitutes, and for him you slaughter the fattened calf!'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the women answered [one another] as they played,.... They sung vocally to their instruments, and that by turns, one rehearsing one line or verse in the song, and then the other another:

and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands; which, if to be referred to the battle in the preceding chapter, as it commonly is, must be understood thus, that though Saul, in pursuit of the Philistines, slew many thousands of them, and David but one, even Goliath; yet the slaying of him was the occasion of slaying ten thousands, and therefore it is ascribed to him: but it seems rather that in some after battles David had been more prosperous and victorious than Saul, and therefore superior commendations are given him by the author of the song the women sung; which, however just it might be to give them, was not wise, since it served to irritate their king, as follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As they played - Or danced with vocal and instrumental music (see Judges 16:25 note).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 18:7. Saul hath slain his thousands — As it cannot literally be true that Saul had slain thousands, and David ten thousands; it would be well to translate the passage thus: Saul hath smitten or fought against thousands; David against tens of thousands. "Though Saul has been victorious in all his battles; yet he has not had such great odds against him as David has had; Saul, indeed, has been opposed by thousands; David, by ten thousands." We may here remark that the Philistines had drawn out their whole forces at this time: and when Goliath was slain, they were totally discomfited by the Israelites, led on chiefly by David.


 
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