Bible Strands
1 Samuel 18:25
Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Saul directs his messengers to tell David that the king demands a dowry of one hundred Philistine foreskins after David’s servants report his earlier refusal of royal gifts.
The words — The phrase אֵֽין חֵפֶץ לַ/מֶּ֙לֶךְ (ein cheftz la/melakh) literally renders “there is no delight for the king,” showing Saul framing the lethal demand as a royal preference.
The thread — This use of a marriage dowry as a conditional demand parallels the high price set in Genesis 34:12 and Saul’s own initial marriage proposal to David in 1 Samuel 18:17.
Why it lands — The verse states Saul’s hidden intent to have David killed by the Philistines, requiring the reader to separate the stated dowry from the concealed lethal motive.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
Cross-references
- Genesis 34:12 Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
- 1 Samuel 14:24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
- 1 Samuel 18:17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
- Genesis 17:11 You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
- Genesis 29:18 Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
- Exodus 22:16 If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife.
- Joshua 5:3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
- 1 Samuel 17:26 David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
- 1 Samuel 17:36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
- 2 Samuel 17:8 He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.