Antiquities Book 6, Chapter 10
Saul Envies David For His Glorious Success, And Takes An Occasion Of Entrapping Him, From The Promise He Made Him Of Giving Him His Daughter In Marriage; But This Upon Condition Of His Bringing Him Six Hundred Heads Of The Philistines.
1. Now the women were an occasion of Saul's envy and hatred to David;
for they came to meet their victorious army with cymbals, and drums, and
all demonstrations of joy, and sang thus: The wives said, that "Saul had
slain his many thousands of the Philistines." The virgins replied, that
"David had slain his ten thousands." Now, when the king heard them
singing thus, and that he had himself the smallest share in their
commendations, and the greater number, the ten thousands, were ascribed
to the young man; and when he considered with himself that there was
nothing more wanting to David, after such a mighty applause, but the
kingdom; he began to be afraid and suspicious of David. Accordingly he
removed him from the station he was in before, for he was his armor-
bearer, which, out of fear, seemed to him much too near a station for
him; and so he made him captain over a thousand, and bestowed on him a
post better indeed in itself, but, as he thought, more for his own
security; for he had a mind to send him against the enemy, and into
battles, as hoping he would be slain in such dangerous conflicts.
2. But David had God going along with him whithersoever he went, and
accordingly he greatly prospered in his undertakings, and it was visible
that he had mighty success, insomuch that Saul's daughter, who was still
a virgin, fell in love with him; and her affection so far prevailed over
her, that it could not be concealed, and her father became acquainted
with it. Now Saul heard this gladly, as intending to make use of it for
a snare against David, and he hoped that it would prove the cause of
destruction and of hazard to him; so he told those that informed him of
his daughter's affection, that he would willingly give David the virgin
in marriage, and said, "I engage myself to marry my daughter to him if
he will bring me six hundred heads of my enemies 17 supposing that when
a reward so ample was proposed to him, and when he should aim to get him
great glory, by undertaking a thing so dangerous and incredible, he
would immediately set about it, and so perish by the Philistines; and my
designs about him will succeed finely to my mind, for I shall be freed
from him, and get him slain, not by myself, but by another man." So he
gave order to his servants to try how David would relish this proposal
of marrying the damsel. Accordingly, they began to speak thus to him:
That king Saul loved him, as well as did all the people, and that he was
desirous of his affinity by the marriage of this damsel. To which he
gave this answer:—"Seemeth it to you a light thing to be made the king's
son-in-law? It does not seem so to me, especially when I am one of a
family that is low, and without any glory or honor." Now when Saul was
informed by his servants what answer David had made, he said,—"Tell him
that I do not want any money nor dowry from him, which would be rather
to set my daughter to sale than to give her in marriage; but I desire
only such a son-in-law as hath in him fortitude, and all other kinds of
virtue," of which he saw David was possessed, and that his desire was to
receive of him, on account of his marrying his daughter, neither gold
nor silver, nor that he should bring such wealth out of his father's
house, but only some revenge on the Philistines, and indeed six hundred
of their heads, than which a more desirable or a more glorious present
could not be brought him, and that he had much rather obtain this, than
any of the accustomed dowries for his daughter, viz. that she should be
married to a man of that character, and to one who had a testimony as
having conquered his enemies.
3. When these words of Saul were brought to David, he was pleased with
them, and supposed that Saul was really desirous of this affinity with
him; so that without bearing to deliberate any longer, or casting about
in his mind whether what was proposed was possible, or was difficult or
not, he and his companions immediately set upon the enemy, and went
about doing what was proposed as the condition of the marriage.
Accordingly, because it was God who made all things easy and possible to
David, he slew many [of the Philistines], and cut off the heads of six
hundred of them, and came to the king, and by showing him these heads of
the Philistines, required that he might have his daughter in marriage.
Accordingly, Saul having no way of getting off his engagements, as
thinking it a base thing either to seem a liar when he promised him this
marriage, or to appear to have acted treacherously by him, in putting
him upon what was in a manner impossible, in order to have him slain, he
gave him his daughter in marriage: her name was Michal.
for they came to meet their victorious army with cymbals, and drums, and
all demonstrations of joy, and sang thus: The wives said, that "Saul had
slain his many thousands of the Philistines." The virgins replied, that
"David had slain his ten thousands." Now, when the king heard them
singing thus, and that he had himself the smallest share in their
commendations, and the greater number, the ten thousands, were ascribed
to the young man; and when he considered with himself that there was
nothing more wanting to David, after such a mighty applause, but the
kingdom; he began to be afraid and suspicious of David. Accordingly he
removed him from the station he was in before, for he was his armor-
bearer, which, out of fear, seemed to him much too near a station for
him; and so he made him captain over a thousand, and bestowed on him a
post better indeed in itself, but, as he thought, more for his own
security; for he had a mind to send him against the enemy, and into
battles, as hoping he would be slain in such dangerous conflicts.
2. But David had God going along with him whithersoever he went, and
accordingly he greatly prospered in his undertakings, and it was visible
that he had mighty success, insomuch that Saul's daughter, who was still
a virgin, fell in love with him; and her affection so far prevailed over
her, that it could not be concealed, and her father became acquainted
with it. Now Saul heard this gladly, as intending to make use of it for
a snare against David, and he hoped that it would prove the cause of
destruction and of hazard to him; so he told those that informed him of
his daughter's affection, that he would willingly give David the virgin
in marriage, and said, "I engage myself to marry my daughter to him if
he will bring me six hundred heads of my enemies 17 supposing that when
a reward so ample was proposed to him, and when he should aim to get him
great glory, by undertaking a thing so dangerous and incredible, he
would immediately set about it, and so perish by the Philistines; and my
designs about him will succeed finely to my mind, for I shall be freed
from him, and get him slain, not by myself, but by another man." So he
gave order to his servants to try how David would relish this proposal
of marrying the damsel. Accordingly, they began to speak thus to him:
That king Saul loved him, as well as did all the people, and that he was
desirous of his affinity by the marriage of this damsel. To which he
gave this answer:—"Seemeth it to you a light thing to be made the king's
son-in-law? It does not seem so to me, especially when I am one of a
family that is low, and without any glory or honor." Now when Saul was
informed by his servants what answer David had made, he said,—"Tell him
that I do not want any money nor dowry from him, which would be rather
to set my daughter to sale than to give her in marriage; but I desire
only such a son-in-law as hath in him fortitude, and all other kinds of
virtue," of which he saw David was possessed, and that his desire was to
receive of him, on account of his marrying his daughter, neither gold
nor silver, nor that he should bring such wealth out of his father's
house, but only some revenge on the Philistines, and indeed six hundred
of their heads, than which a more desirable or a more glorious present
could not be brought him, and that he had much rather obtain this, than
any of the accustomed dowries for his daughter, viz. that she should be
married to a man of that character, and to one who had a testimony as
having conquered his enemies.
3. When these words of Saul were brought to David, he was pleased with
them, and supposed that Saul was really desirous of this affinity with
him; so that without bearing to deliberate any longer, or casting about
in his mind whether what was proposed was possible, or was difficult or
not, he and his companions immediately set upon the enemy, and went
about doing what was proposed as the condition of the marriage.
Accordingly, because it was God who made all things easy and possible to
David, he slew many [of the Philistines], and cut off the heads of six
hundred of them, and came to the king, and by showing him these heads of
the Philistines, required that he might have his daughter in marriage.
Accordingly, Saul having no way of getting off his engagements, as
thinking it a base thing either to seem a liar when he promised him this
marriage, or to appear to have acted treacherously by him, in putting
him upon what was in a manner impossible, in order to have him slain, he
gave him his daughter in marriage: her name was Michal.