1 Samuel 18:25

Contextual Overview

¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul. ¹² Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. ¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. ¹² The Lord was with David but had left Saul. So Saul was afraid of David. ¹² So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul. ¹² Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and was departed from Saul. ¹²Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. ¹² Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹² And Saul dredde Dauid, for the Lord was with hym, and hadde go awei fro him silf.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

dowry: Genesis 29:18, Genesis 34:12, Exodus 22:16, Exodus 22:17

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: 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:36, Genesis 17:11-14, Joshua 5:3

to be avenged: 1 Samuel 14:24

thought: 1 Samuel 18:17, 2 Samuel 17:8-11

Reciprocal: Numbers 35:20 - by laying 1 Samuel 18:13 - removed 2 Samuel 3:14 - an hundred 2 Samuel 11:15 - Set ye 2 Samuel 19:9 - The king Hosea 3:2 - I bought

Cross-References

Genesis 18:1
And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

Genesis 18:1
And Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Genesis 18:1
Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day.

Genesis 18:1
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest time of the day.

Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Genesis 18:1
Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

Genesis 18:1
Now the LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre [in Hebron], while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.

Genesis 18:1
Forsothe in the valei of Mambre the Lord apperide to Abraham, sittynge in the dore of his tabernacle, in thilke heete of the dai.

Genesis 18:1
And Jehovah appeareth unto him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day;

Genesis 18:1
Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul said, thus shall ye say to David,.... In answer to his objections, and in order to remove them, and especially what concerned the dowry:

the king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies; that is, he required or desired no other dowry of David, but that he would slay an hundred Philistines, and bring their foreskins to him; by which he would be able to know that they were Philistines he slew, not Israelites who were circumcised; though it cannot well be thought that Saul should have any suspicion of that, or take such a method to prevent it; but as those were almost, if not altogether, the only uncircumcised persons that were their neighbours, since the Arabians, Edomites, Midianites, c. received circumcision from their ancestors, it would be a clear case to him that these were the men he slew and whom he the rather pitched upon, because they were his enemies, and the enemies of Israel, and abhorred of the Lord; which carried in it a show of zeal for the glory of God, and the good of his people, and because he hoped David would fall by them in the enterprise, or however render himself very odious to them, and they would bear him ill will, and seek his ruin. Strabo y reports of the people in Carmania, that no man among them marries a wife before he cuts off the head of an enemy, and brings it to the king; and the king lays up the skulls in a treasury, and he is the most famous that has the most heads brought unto him. Saul chose not heads, but foreskins, for the reasons before given:

but Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines; he hoped in the enterprise the Philistines would be too powerful for him, and kill him.

y Geograph. l. 15. p. 500. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. l. 1. c. 24.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

An hundred foreskins - This is merely another expression of the spirit which led to the constant application of the epithet uncircumcised to the Philistines 1 Samuel 14:6.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 18:25. 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.