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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 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.
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