1 Samuel 18 · Verse 25

1 Samuel 18:25

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.
1 Samuel 18:25, King James Version

1 Samuel 18:25 in other translations

BSBSaul 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.
WEBSaul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
ASVAnd Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
YLTAnd Saul saith, ‘Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines--to be avenged on the enemies of the king;' and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.
DARBYAnd Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David: The king does not desire any dowry, but a 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.
BBEAnd Saul said, Then say to David, The king has no desire for any bride-price, but only for the private parts of a hundred Philistines so that the king may get the better of his haters. But it was in Saul's mind that David might come to his end by the hands of the Philistines.
WebsterAnd Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dower, but a 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.

What does 1 Samuel 18:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. The king desireth not any dowry--In Eastern countries the husband purchases his wife either by gifts or services. As neither David nor his family were in circumstances to give a suitable dowry for a princess, the king intimated that he would be graciously pleased to accept some gallant deed in the public service. a hundred foreskins of the Philistines--Such mutilations on the bodies of their slain enemies were commonly practised in ancient war, and the number told indicated the glory of the victory. Saul's willingness to accept a public service had an air of liberality, while his choice of so difficult and hazardous a service seemed only putting a proper value on gaining the hand of a king's daughter. But he covered unprincipled malice against David under this proposal, which exhibited a zeal for God and the covenant of circumcision.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 But a hundred foreskins - That is, Thou shalt slay one hundred Philistines, and thou shalt produce their foreskins, as a proof, not only that thou hast killed one hundred men, but that these are of the uncircumcised. A custom similar to this still prevails among the Abyssinians, according to Bruce. See his Travels.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 18:12-30

For a long time David was kept in continual apprehension of falling by the hand of Saul, yet he persevered in meek and respectful behaviour towards his persecutor. How uncommon is such prudence and discretion, especially under insults and provocations! Let us inquire if we imitate this part of the exemplary character before us. Are we behaving wisely in all our ways? Is there no sinful omission, no rashness of…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 18:12-30 →

1 Samuel 18:25 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
שָׁא֜וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
כֹּֽה\־koh-thusH3541
תֹאמְר֣וּto.me.Ruyou will sayH559
לְדָוִ֗דle.da.Vidto DavidH1732
אֵֽין\־'ein-notH369
חֵ֤פֶץChe.fetzdelightH2656
לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙la.Me.lekh[belongs] to the kingH4428
בְּמֹ֔הַרbe.Mo.harin bride-priceH4119
כִּ֗יKiforH3588
בְּמֵאָה֙be.me.'Ahfor a hundredH3967
עָרְל֣וֹתa.re.Lotforeskins ofH6190
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםpe.lish.TimPhilistinesH6430
לְהִנָּקֵ֖םle.hi.na.Kemto avenge himselfH5358
בְּאֹיְבֵ֣יbe.'o.ye.Veion [the] enemies ofH341
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וְשָׁא֣וּלve.sha.'Uland SaulH7586
חָשַׁ֔בcha.Shavhe plannedH2803
לְהַפִּ֥ילle.ha.Pilto make fallH5307
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דָּוִ֖דda.VidDavidH1732
בְּיַד\־be.yad-by [the] hand ofH3027
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים\׃pe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 18:25

  • 1 Samuel 14:24

    And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

  • 1 Samuel 18:17

    And Saul 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. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

  • Genesis 34:12

    Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

  • Exodus 22:16-17

    And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

  • Genesis 17:11-14

    And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

  • 1 Samuel 17:36

    Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

  • 2 Samuel 17:8-11

    For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

  • 1 Samuel 17:26

    And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

  • Joshua 5:3

    And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

  • Genesis 29:18

    And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
dowry.
Ge 29:18; 34:12; Ex 22:16,17
but an hundred.That is, Thou shalt slay one hundred Philistines, and thou shalt produce their foreskins as a proof, not only that thou hast killed one hundred men, but that these are of the uncircumcised Philistines.
foreskins.
17:26,36; Ge 17:11-14; Jos 5:3
to be avenged.
14:24
thought.
17; 2Sa 17:8-11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 18:24

    And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.

  • 1 Samuel 18:25

    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.

  • 1 Samuel 18:26

    And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.

Read all of 1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Saúl dijo: Decid así á David: No está el contentamiento del rey en el dote, sino en cien prepucios de Filisteos, para que sea tomada venganza de los enemigos del rey. Mas Saúl pensaba echar á David en manos de los Filisteos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Saül dit: Vous direz ainsi à David: Le roi ne désire point de dot, mais 100 prépuces de Philistins, pour que le roi soit vengé de ses ennemis. Et Saül pensait faire tomber David par la main des Philistins.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da sprach Saul: So sollt ihr zu David sagen: Der König hat kein Begehr nach einer Heiratsgabe, sondern nach hundert Vorhäuten der Philister, um sich an den Feinden des Königs zu rächen. Saul aber gedachte David durch die Hand der Philister zu fällen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixit autem Saul: Sic loquimini ad David: Non habet rex sponsalia necesse, nisi tantum centum præputia Philisthinorum, ut fiat ultio de inimicis regis. Porro Saul cogitabat tradere David in manus Philisthinorum.