1 Samuel 18:8

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said, - They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands, - What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Saul was furious and resented this song. “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?”

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

King James Version
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?

Lexham English Bible
Saul became very angry, and this saying displeased him, and he thought, "They have attributed to David ten thousands, but to me they have attributed thousands! What more can he have but the kingdom?"

English Standard Version
And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?"

New Century Version
The women's song upset Saul, and he became very angry. He thought, "The women say David has killed tens of thousands, but they say I have killed only thousands. The only thing left for him to have is the kingdom!"

New English Translation
This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, "They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?"

Amplified Bible
Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed [only] thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul became very angry, for this lyric displeased him; and he said, "They have given David credit for ten thousands, but to me they have given credit for only thousands! Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore Saul was exceeding wroth, and the saying displeased him, & he sayde, They haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousand, & to me they haue ascribed but a thousand, & what can he haue more saue the kingdome?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul became very angry, for this saying was displeasing in his eyes; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

Contemporary English Version
This song made Saul very angry, and he thought, "They are saying that David has killed ten times more enemies than I ever did. Next they will want to make him king."

Complete Jewish Bible
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!"

Darby Translation
And Saul was very wroth, and that saying was evil in his sight; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed the thousands; and [what] is there more for him but the kingdom?

Easy-to-Read Version
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!"

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

Good News Translation
Saul did not like this, and he became very angry. He said, "For David they claim tens of thousands, but only thousands for me. They will be making him king next!"

Literal Translation
And it very much burned Saul, and this thing was evil in his eyes. And he said, They have given myriads to David, and to me they have given thousands. And is there more to him, except the kingdom?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then was Saul very wroth, and yt worde displeased him sore, and he sayde: They haue ascrybed ten thousande vnto Dauid, and but one thousande vnto me: what shal he haue more but the kyngdome?

American Standard Version
And Saul was very wroth, and this 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?

Bible in Basic English
And Saul was very angry and this saying was unpleasing to him; and he said, They have given David credit for tens of thousands, and to me for only thousands: what more is there for him but the kingdom?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Saul was exceeding wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he sayd: They haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousand, & to me but a thousande: and what can he more haue, saue the kingdome?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said: 'They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and all he lacketh is the kingdom!'

King James Version (1611)
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he sayd, They haue ascribed vnto Dauid tenne thousands, and to me they haue ascribed but thousands: and what can he haue more, but the kingdome?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
018

English Revised Version
And Saul was very wroth, and this 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?

Berean Standard Bible
And Saul was furious and resented this song. "They have ascribed tens of thousands to David," he said, "but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Saul was wrooth greetli, and this word displeside `in his iyen; and he seide, Thei yauen ten thousynde to Dauid, and `thei yauen a thousynde to me; what leeueth to hym, no but the rewme aloone?

Young's Literal Translation
And it is displeasing to Saul exceedingly, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he saith, `They have given to David myriads, and to me they have given the thousands, and more to him [is] only the kingdom;'

Update Bible Version
And Saul was very angry, and this thing was evil in his eyes; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and [what] can he have more but the kingdom?

World English Bible
Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

New King James Version
Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

New Living Translation
This made Saul very angry. "What's this?" he said. "They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they'll be making him their king!"

New Life Bible
Then Saul became very angry. This saying did not please him. He said, "They have given David honor for ten thousands, but for me only thousands. Now what more can he have but to be king?"

New Revised Standard
Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand, what can he have more but the kingdom?

Revised Standard Version
And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and what more can he have but the kingdom?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

Contextual Overview

⁶ But so it was, when they came in on the return of David from the smiting of the Philistine, that the women went forth out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king, - with timbrels, with rejoicing, and with instruments of three strings. ⁷ 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. ⁸ Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said, - They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands, - What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom? ⁹ And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward. ¹⁰ And, when it came to pass, on the morrow, that a superhuman spirit of sadness came suddenly upon Saul, and he was moved to raving in the midst of the house, - and, David, began playing with his hand, as he had done day by day, that a spear being in Saul's hand, ¹¹ Saul hurled the spear, and said to himself - I will smite David, even to the wall! But David moved round from before him, twice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the saying: Esther 3:5, Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 27:4, Ecclesiastes 4:4, James 4:5

displeased him: Heb. was evil in his eyes, Numbers 11:1, Numbers 22:34, *marg.

and what: 1 Samuel 13:14, 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 16:13, 1 Samuel 20:31, 1 Kings 2:22

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:8 - please not 1 Samuel 19:1 - And Saul 1 Samuel 21:11 - the king Job 5:2 - envy Proverbs 27:21 - so Matthew 5:22 - That Mark 7:22 - an evil Mark 15:10 - for envy Luke 15:28 - he 1 Peter 2:1 - envies

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
But he became exceeding urgent with them, so they turned aside unto him and entered into his house, - and he made for them a banquet, unleavened cakes, also did he bake, and they did eat.

Deuteronomy 32:14
Curds of kine and milk of sheep, - With fat of well-fed lambs, Yea rams bred in Bashan, and he-goats, With the white of the kernels of wheat, - And, the blood of the grape, thou didst drink as it foamed.

Judges 5:25
Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, - In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:

Judges 13:15
And Manoah said unto the messenger of Yahweh, - I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready for thy presence, a kid.

Nehemiah 12:44
And there were sot in charge, on that day, certain men, over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave-offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, out of the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law, for the priests, and for the Levites, - for, the joy of Judah, was over the priests and over the Levites, who were remaining.

Luke 12:37
Happy those servants, whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching! Verily, I say unto you - he will gird himself, and make them recline, and, coming near, will minister unto them.

Luke 17:8
on the contrary, will not say to him - Make somewhat ready, that I may dine, - and, girding thyself, be ministering unto me, until I have eaten and drunk; and, after these things, thou, shalt eat and drink?

Luke 24:30
And it came to pass, when he reclined with them, taking the loaf, he blessed, and, breaking it, went on to give unto them.

Luke 24:43
and, taking it before them, he did eat.

John 12:2
So they made for him a supper, there; and, Martha, was ministering, but, Lazarus, was one of them who were reclining with him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him,.... Partly because they called him plain Saul, and not King Saul; did not give him his royal title, which might serve to strengthen his suspicion, after suggested; and chiefly because they attributed a greater number of slain to David than to him, as follows:

and he said, they have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they ascribed [but] thousands; and so had given more honour to an inferior officer than to the commander-in-chief, more to a subject than to a sovereign:

and [what can] he have more but the kingdom? there is nothing left out of their song, and nothing remains to be given him but that; some think that Saul knew, by the prudent behaviour of David, and the favour he was in with God and men, and by these commendations of the women, that the kingdom would be his; and that the words of Samuel were true, and would be confirmed, that the kingdom would be rent from him, and given to his neighbour better than he. This clause, with 1 Samuel 18:9, is left out of the Greek version, according to the Vatican copy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What can he have ... - Rather, “There is only the kingdom left for him.” Compare for the same sentiment, 1 Kings 2:22. “A kingdom (says Camden) brooketh no companion, and majesty more heavily taketh injuries to heart.”