the carcases of the host of the Philistines to the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."

And when the Philistine drew near, David ran to meet him; and as he ran he put his hand into his wallet, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine on the forehead; and the stone sank into

his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. But, because he had no sword, he ran and stood upon the Philistine, and drawing the man's sword out of its sheath, smote off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel pursued them even to Gath and Ekron; and when they returned

1

from the pursuit they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine and his armour.1 But Saul said to Abner, captain of his host, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, "As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.” Then the king said, "Inquire whose son the stripling is." And Abner brought David to Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, "Whose

son art thou, young man?"

David said, "I am the

son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

That day Saul took him, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Also Jonathan, that was Saul's son, and heir of his kingdom, loved him as his own soul; and he gave him his own robe, and his sword, and his bow, and his girdle. After this Saul made him his armour-bearer, and set him over his men of war; and on whatever errand David was sent he behaved himself wisely, and approved himself in the sight of the king's servants and of all the people.

But it came to pass one day that as he was returning, having made a great slaughter of the Philistines, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, and playing on instruments of music to meet him and the king. And one company sang, "Saul hath slain his thousands," and the other company answered, "And David his ten thousands." Thereat Saul was very wroth, for the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands only; now there is only the kingdom left for him."

1 The mention of Jerusalem in 1 Sam. xvii. 52 is probably in anticipation. Jerusalem was at that time still in the possession of the Jebusites; but we may be sure that ultimately the armour would be brought there.

2 This question does not necessarily imply that Saul had no knowledge of him, but only that now the young man might very well become a man of importance, it would be well to know what was his parentage.

And from that day forward he looked jealously upon David.

After a while madness came David played upon the harp to

again upon Saul, and

soothe him, as he had

been wont to do at the first. But Saul sat with a javelin in his hand.

Once he made as if he would

have cast it at David; but David escaped out of his presence. Again, another time, he struck at David with it; but David slipped away, and he smote the javelin into the wall.

After this the king sent David away, making him captain of a thousand, in which command he behaved himself so wisely that all the people loved him.

Now hitherto Saul had not fulfilled his promise that he would give his daughter to wife to the man who

Therefore

should slay the champion of the Philistines.

he said to David, "Behold my elder daughter Merab; her will I give thee to wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles." (But he hoped that David would be slain by the Philistines, being unwilling to lay hands upon him himself.) And David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my father's house, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" But it came to pass at the time when Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholah.

Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. And when Saul knew of it, the thing pleased him, for he said to himself, "Now will I make my daughter a snare to David, and he shall be slain by the Philistines." Then he commanded his servants that they should say to David, "Behold the king hath delight in thee, and all men love thee. Why shouldst thou not marry the king's daughter ?" But David said, "It is no easy thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man." Then Saul's servants answered him, “The king requireth no dowry from thee, such as he required of Adriel for his daughter Merab. Only bring him the spoils of a hundred Philistines." But the purpose of the king was that David should fall by the hand of the Philistines. The thing pleased David, and before the time had expired wherein it had been covenanted that the king's daughter should be given him, he went forth, he and his men, and slew two hundred of the Philistines, and brought their spoils to the king. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal to wife. Nevertheless from that time forward Saul hated David, and sought to slay him.

For a time, indeed, Jonathan his son, who loved David exceedingly, turned the king from his purpose, for he said unto him, “Let not the king sin against his

servant David, because he hath not sinned against thee, but hath served thee well. Did he not take his life in his hand, and slay the Philistine, the Lord working great salvation for Israel by him? Thou sawest it, and didst rejoice. Wherefore then wilt thou shed innocent

blood, slaying David without a cause?"

Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan his son, and sware, "As the Lord liveth, David shall not be slain."

Then Jonathan brought David again into the presence of his father, and he abode with him; and when the Philistines came up again into the land of Israel, David went out against them, and slew them. with a great slaughter.

But when Saul in his madness sought again to slay him with the javelin that he carried in his hand, David escaped by night to his own house. There the messengers of Saul watched him; and Michal his wife said. to him, "If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be slain." So that night Michal let David down by a window, and he fled. But she took an image,1 and laid it in the bed, and put a blanket of goat's hair over it, covering it up; and the spies of Saul thought that it was David's self. In the morning the king sent messengers to take David, and Michal said to them, "He is sick." Then he sent them again, saying, "Bring us up to him that we may see him." So Michal brought them up into the chamber; and behold there was an image in the bed covered with a blanket of goat's hair.

Then Saul said unto Michal, "Why hast thou deceived me thus, and caused my enemy to escape?"

1 A teraph, a sort of household god to which a certain worship was paid, especially by women (as by Rachel, when she stole the teraphim from her father's house), though the practice was, of course, a distinct violation of the Second Commandment.