Study Desk

By the time David had finished speaking to Sha'ul, Y'honatan found himself inwardly drawn by David's character, so that Y'honatan loved him as he did himself.

David would go out, and no matter where Sha'ul sent him, he was successful. Sha'ul put him in charge of the fighting men; all the people thought it good, and so did Sha'ul's servants.

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;

Sha'ul said to David, "Here is my older daughter Merav. I will give her to you as your wife; only continue displaying your courage for me, and fight Adonai 's battles." Sha'ul was thinking, "I don't dare touch him, so let the P'lishtim do away with him."

Sha'ul said, "I'll give her to him, so that she can entrap him, and the P'lishtim can do away with him." So Sha'ul said to David, "Today you will become my son-in-law through the second [daughter]."

Sha'ul ordered his servants to speak privately with David and say, "Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you; so become the king's son-in-law."

Sha'ul's servants said this to David; but David replied, "Do you think being the king's son-in-law is something to be treated so casually, given that I'm a poor man without social standing?"

Sha'ul said, "Here's what you are to say to David: ‘The king doesn't want any dowry; he wants a hundred foreskins of the P'lishtim, so that he can have vengeance on the king's enemies." For Sha'ul was hoping to have David killed by the P'lishtim.

This only made Sha'ul the more afraid of David, so that Sha'ul became David's enemy for the rest of his life.

The leaders of the P'lishtim would attack; but whenever they attacked, David was more successful than any of Sha'ul's servants; so that David acquired a great reputation.

He put his life in his hands to attack the P'lishtim, and Adonai accomplished a great victory for all Isra'el. You yourself saw it, and you were happy about it. So why do you want to sin against innocent blood by killing David without any reason?"

when Sha'ul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. But he dodged it and moved out of Sha'ul's way, so that the spear stuck in the wall. David fled, so that night he escaped.

So Mikhal let David down through the window; and he left, fled and escaped.

Sha'ul sent the messengers to see David with the order, "Bring him up to me, bed and all, so that I can kill him."

David fled and escaped, then came to Sh'mu'el in Ramah and told him everything Sha'ul had done to him. So he and Sh'mu'el went and stayed in the prophets' dormitory.

Y'honatan replied, "Heaven forbid! You're not going to die! Look, my father does nothing important or unimportant without telling me first; so why should my father hide this from me? It just won't happen!"

But if my father intends to do you harm, may Adonai do as much and more to me if I don't let you know and send you away, so that you can go in peace. And may Adonai be with you, just as he used to be with my father.

However, you are to show me Adonai 's kindness not only while I am alive, so that I do not die;

So David hid himself in the countryside. When Rosh-Hodesh came, the king sat down to eat his meal.

He said, ‘Please let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother demanded that I come. So now, if you look on me favorably, please let me get away and see my brothers.' That's why he hasn't come to the king's table."