Study Desk

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen [any of] these."

"If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us."

but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock at Bethlehem.

But David said, "What have I done now? Was it not just a [harmless] question?"

But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

Then David fastened his sword over his armor and tried to walk, [but he could not,] because he was not used to them. And David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, because I am not used to them." So David took them off.

Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand.

Then David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed [only] thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.

Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he publicly associated with them.

Then Saul said to David, "Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the LORD'S battles." For Saul thought, "My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."

But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was [instead] given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

So Saul's servants spoke these words to David. But David said, "Is it a trivial thing in your sight to become a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and insignificant?"

Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David, but Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly delighted in David.

Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul's presence, so that Saul only stuck the spear into the wall. Then David fled and escaped that night.

Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch for him, so that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

Then Saul sent messengers to take David; but when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.