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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

1 Samuel 18:7

The women sang, "Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed 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!
Complete Jewish Bible
In their merrymaking the women sang, "Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands."
Darby Translation
And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath smitten his thousands, And David his ten 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 David would go out to fight against the Philistines. On the way home, after the battles, women in every town in Israel would come out to meet him. They sang and danced for joy as they played their tambourines and lyres. They did this right in front of Saul! 7 The women sang, "Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands." 8 This song upset Saul and he became very angry. Saul thought, "The women give David credit for killing tens of thousands of the enemy, and they give me credit for only thousands. A little more of this and they will give him the kingdom itself!" 9 So from that time on, Saul watched David very closely. 10 The next day, an evil spirit from God took control of Saul and he went wild in his house. David played the harp to calm him as he usually did, 11 but Saul had a spear in his hand. He thought, "I'll pin David to the wall." Saul threw the spear twice, but David jumped out of the way both times.

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
Sarah said, "I didn't laugh!" (She said this because she was afraid.) Then the Lord said, "No, I know that is not true. You did laugh!"
Genesis 18:16
Then the men got up to leave. They looked toward Sodom and began walking in that direction. Abraham walked with them to send them on their way.
Genesis 19:3
But Lot continued to ask them to come to his house, so they agreed and went with him. Lot gave them something to drink. He baked some bread for them, and they ate it.
Amos 6:4
But now you lie on ivory beds and stretch out on your couches. You eat tender young lambs from the flock and young calves from the stable.
Malachi 1:14
"Some people have good, male animals that they could give as sacrifices, but don't. Some people bring good animals and promise to give those healthy animals to me. But then they secretly exchange those good animals and give me sick animals instead. Bad things will happen to those people. I am the Great King and people all around the world respect me!" This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
Matthew 22:4
"Then the king sent some more servants. He said to them, ‘I have already invited the people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'
Luke 15:23
And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat.
Luke 15:27
The boy said, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father killed the best calf to eat. He is happy because he has his son back safe and sound.'
Luke 15:30
But then this son of yours comes home after wasting your money on prostitutes, and you kill the best calf for him!'

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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