1 samuel 18:21 - Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, “You shall today be my son-in-law a second time.”

Generated Verse: 1 samuel 18:21

What does "1 samuel 18:21" mean?


This verse from 1 Samuel 18:21 reveals Saul's treacherous intentions towards David. Let's break it down:

"Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him...": Saul plans to give his daughter, Michal, to David as a wife. However, his motive isn't genuine love or respect. Instead, he hopes Michal will be a "snare" to David. This means Saul intends to use the marriage to entrap David, likely putting him in a dangerous situation that could lead to his downfall.

"...and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.": Saul's plan is even more sinister. He wants to use the dowry requirement (bride price) as an opportunity to get David killed by the Philistines, Israel's enemies. Likely, Saul's plan would involve requiring David to kill a certain number of Philistines as the dowry. He is hoping that David will be killed in the attempt.

"Therefore Saul said to David, 'You shall today be my son-in-law a second time.'": Saul is deceiving David. He already promised him his older daughter, Merab, but broke his promise. Now, he's offering Michal, pretending to be sincere and enthusiastic about the match. The phrase "a second time" highlights Saul's duplicity and history of broken promises.

In essence, this verse demonstrates Saul's growing paranoia and jealousy towards David. He sees David as a threat to his throne and is willing to use deceit and violence, even involving his own daughter, to eliminate him. He pretends to be offering David honor and a familial connection, but secretly hopes to orchestrate his death at the hands of the Philistines.

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