Commentary - 1 Samuel 18:6-9

Bird's-eye view

This short passage marks a crucial turning point in the life of David and the reign of Saul. Immediately following the glorious victory over Goliath and the subsequent rout of the Philistines, the narrative pivots from national celebration to the private, festering sin of the king. The very event that should have united Israel in gratitude to God becomes the occasion for the seed of murderous envy to take root in Saul's heart. Here we see the collision of two kingdoms: the kingdom of Saul, which is man-centered, insecure, and propped up by public opinion, and the kingdom of David, which is God-ordained, humble, and ultimately a pointer to the kingdom of Christ. The spontaneous song of the women acts as a divine litmus test, revealing the spiritual poison that had long been curdling in Saul's soul. From this day forward, the trajectory of both men is set, one toward a paranoid and tragic end, the other toward the throne, though by a path of immense suffering.

Outline

Context In 1 Samuel

This passage does not occur in a vacuum. God has already rejected Saul as king for his disobedience (1 Sam. 15) and the Spirit of the Lord has departed from him, being replaced by a harmful spirit (1 Sam. 16:14). In the very next breath, David is anointed by Samuel, and the Spirit of the Lord rushes upon him (1 Sam. 16:13). The contrast is stark and intentional. The confrontation with Goliath in chapter 17 was not just a military victory; it was a spiritual demonstration of where God's favor now rested. David, trusting in the name of the Lord, accomplished what Saul, the head-and-shoulders-taller king, was too cowardly to attempt. This context is essential. The women's song is not the cause of Saul's corruption; it is merely the catalyst that brings his pre-existing rebellion, insecurity, and envy to the surface for all to see.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 6 And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with gladness, and with musical instruments.

The scene is one of pure, unadulterated joy. This is how a nation is supposed to react when God grants them a great deliverance. The victory over the Philistine champion was not just David's victory; it was Israel's. The women, coming from "all the cities of Israel," represent the heart of the people. Their celebration is spontaneous, loud, and public. It is important to note that they come out "to meet King Saul." On the surface, all protocol is being observed. The king is the head of the nation, the commander-in-chief, and the celebration is directed toward him as the representative of the people. They are not intending to slight the king. They are simply rejoicing in the facts on the ground. God has used a young man to save them, and their gladness overflows. This is the kind of celebration that a godly king would have led, directing all the praise to the God who gave the victory. But Saul is not that kind of king.

v. 7 And the women sang as they were merry and said, “Saul has struck his thousands, And David his ten thousands.”

Here is the spark that lights the fuse. In their merriment, the women sing a simple, memorable, and mathematically accurate couplet. This was likely a song composed on the spot, a kind of folk anthem celebrating the victory. They are not theologians or political advisors; they are singers telling the truth in song. And the truth is that while Saul has been a successful military leader in his own right, what David has just accomplished is an order of magnitude greater. Saul's victories were additions; David's was a multiplication. By felling Goliath, David broke the back of the Philistine threat and morale, leading to a massive victory. The song is not, in its intent, treasonous. It gives Saul his due: "his thousands." But it gives David his due as well: "his ten thousands." The problem is not with the song, but with the heart of the man who heard it. A heart tuned to God's glory would have said "Amen!" A heart tuned to its own glory can only hear a threat.

v. 8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying was displeasing in his eyes; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?”

The mask of royal composure drops. We are shown the raw sin underneath. Saul's reaction is not mild irritation; he becomes "very angry." The Hebrew indicates a burning rage. The saying was "displeasing in his eyes," which is to say it was evil to him. Why? Because Saul lived in a zero-sum world. For David to be magnified, Saul had to be diminished. He could not rejoice in a victory for Israel if it meant someone else got more credit than he did. This is the very essence of envy. Envy is not simply wanting what someone else has; it is being miserable over the good that has come to them. Saul's internal monologue reveals the true issue. He does the math of glory: "David gets ten, I only get one." And he immediately makes the political calculation: "Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" Saul knows, deep down, that the kingdom is not truly his. He is holding onto it with white knuckles because God has already told him it would be torn from him. He sees David not as a loyal subject or a gift from God, but as the embodiment of that divine threat. His fear of God has been replaced by a fear of David.

v. 9 So Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

The relationship is now permanently altered. The Hebrew for "looked at David with suspicion" is literally "Saul was eyeing David." It is the look of a predator. It is a look of jealousy, suspicion, and malice. Before this, David was the court musician who soothed the king's troubled spirit. Now, David is the rival, the threat, the man who must be watched, and ultimately, the man who must be eliminated. A heart given over to envy cannot see reality clearly. Every good deed David does from this point on will be interpreted by Saul through this lens of suspicion. Every success will be another reason to hate him. This is the beginning of Saul's descent into a self-made hell, a paranoia fueled by pride and a refusal to submit to the plain will of God. He is now at war, not just with the Philistines, but with God's anointed.

Application

The story of Saul's envy is a perennial warning for the people of God. We live in a world that, like Saul, is constantly doing the math of glory. Who has more followers? Who got the promotion? Whose kids are more successful? Who received more praise? Envy is a sin that feeds on comparison, and it is poison to the soul. It makes us incapable of rejoicing with those who rejoice, which is a Christian duty (Rom. 12:15).

Saul's sin began with his disobedience to God, which hollowed out his soul and left it vulnerable to this kind of spiritual rot. When we are not secure in our standing before God, through faith in Christ, we will inevitably seek our security in the approval of men. And when that approval is threatened, or given to another, we will react just as Saul did, with anger and suspicion. The women's song was an unintentional test, and Saul failed spectacularly.

The gospel provides the only true antidote to envy. In Christ, we are given a glory and an inheritance that cannot be measured or compared. We are co-heirs with the Son of God (Rom. 8:17). What praise of men can compete with that? When we are secure in our identity in Christ, we are freed to celebrate the gifts God gives to others, because their gain is not our loss. In the economy of the kingdom, another's success is a victory for all of us. David's triumph was a blessing for all Israel, but Saul could only see it as a personal insult. Let us ask God to give us hearts that, unlike Saul's, can sing along when others are praised, knowing that all glory ultimately belongs to the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.