Study Desk

and that this entire assembly may know that the LORD does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will hand you over to us."

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?"

Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.

Then Saul said to David, "Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the LORD'S battles." For Saul thought, "My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."

Saul said, "I will give her to him so that she may become a snare (bad influence, source of trouble) to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David for a second time, "You shall be my son-in-law today."

When his servants told David these words, it pleased him to become the king's son-in-law. Before the time [for the marriage] arrived,

"As for me, I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you, and if I learn anything, then I will tell you."

"For he took his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great victory for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by killing David without a cause?"

Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch for him, so that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

"If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked permission from me to go to Bethlehem, his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the entire family.'

"Therefore show kindness to your servant, because you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is iniquity (guilt) in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father [to be killed]?"

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. [He added,] "May the LORD require it at the hands of David's enemies. [that is, hold them accountable for any harm they inflict on David]."

Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, for Jonathan loved him as himself.

"When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day [when my father tried to kill you], and shall stay by the stone Ezel.

"And I will send a boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I specifically say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,' then come [back to my father's table]; for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the LORD lives.

"But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then go, for the LORD has sent you away.

"As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever [making sure that we each keep our word]."

Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "It is an incident [of some kind] and he is not [ceremonially] clean—surely he is unclean."

Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.