The Green-Eyed Tyrant Text: 1 Samuel 18:6-9
Introduction: The Rottenness in the Bones
There are certain sins that society finds respectable, or at least tolerable. A little greed is called ambition. A little lust is called being human. A little gluttony is just being a foodie. But envy is a different sort of beast. It is a sin that gnaws. It is a sin that cannot be satisfied, because its very nature is to be dissatisfied with the blessings of another. The book of Proverbs tells us that "a tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot" (Proverbs 14:30). Envy is a spiritual osteoporosis. It hollows a man out from the inside, leaving him brittle, weak, and destined to collapse under the slightest pressure.
And in our text today, we see this disease take root in the heart of a king. We are watching the beginning of the end for Saul. He is the Lord's anointed, the head and shoulders king of Israel, the man who should be most secure in his position. And yet, a simple song, sung by celebrating women, exposes a deep and fatal corruption in his soul. This is not just a story about palace intrigue or the psychological profile of a failing leader. This is a stark warning about the nature of worldly power, the poison of comparison, and the stark contrast between a man ruled by his own insecurities and a man resting in the sovereign favor of God.
What we are witnessing here is the great pivot point in Israel's history. God has already rejected Saul for his disobedience and has chosen another, a man after His own heart. But the transition is not clean. It is not like a modern, democratic transfer of power with moving vans at the palace. No, this is a transition orchestrated by the sovereign hand of God, and it unfolds in the midst of human sin, political maneuvering, and murderous rage. Saul's reaction to David's success is not just a personal failing; it is a rebellion against the clear and manifest blessing of God. When you envy the man God is blessing, you are not just picking a fight with the man. You are picking a fight with God. And that is a fight you will never win.
The Text
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. And the women sang as they were merry and said, "Saul has struck his thousands, And David his ten thousands." 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?" So Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.
(1 Samuel 18:6-9 LSB)
The Song of the Victorious (vv. 6-7)
We begin with the celebration. Israel has just been delivered from the menace of Goliath and the Philistines, and the mood is electric.
"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. And the women sang as they were merry and said, 'Saul has struck his thousands, And David his ten thousands.'" (1 Samuel 18:6-7)
This is what victory is supposed to look like. The people of God are celebrating the deliverance of God. It is right and proper to rejoice when God gives victory over His enemies. The women come out with singing, dancing, and instruments. This is not a somber, dirge-like affair. It is loud, joyful, and public. This is a parade. And notice who they come out to meet: King Saul. He is still the recognized head of the nation. The people are not staging a coup; they are welcoming their king home from a successful campaign.
The song they sing is a classic example of Hebrew poetic parallelism. The second line builds upon and intensifies the first. They are not intending to insult Saul. They are honoring him first, as is proper: "Saul has struck his thousands." This is high praise. He is a mighty warrior, a king who leads his armies. But then comes the intensification: "And David his ten thousands." In their unvarnished, spontaneous joy, they simply state the obvious. David's contribution to this particular victory was exponentially greater. He took out the champion, broke the back of the Philistine army, and secured the rout. The women are not being political analysts; they are being honest.
They are celebrating God's deliverance, and they are acknowledging the instruments God used. They see God's hand on Saul, and they see God's hand on David, and they praise God for both. There is nothing malicious here. This is the simple, artless celebration of a people who are glad to be alive and free. But the heart of a proud man does not hear praise for God. It only hears a scorecard for himself.
The Math of a Rotten Heart (v. 8)
Saul hears the song, but he does not hear it through the grid of God's deliverance. He hears it through the grid of his own festering insecurity.
"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?'" (1 Samuel 18:8 LSB)
Notice the progression. First, anger. The Hebrew says he was "very angry." This is not mild irritation. This is rage. Why? Because the saying was "displeasing in his eyes." Saul's standard for truth is not what God has done, but what pleases his own ego. He is the center of his own universe. The purpose of a victory parade, in his mind, is not to celebrate God's faithfulness, but to burnish his own reputation. When the song fails to do that to his satisfaction, it becomes an offense.
Then comes the envious calculation. "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands." He is doing the math. He is counting the accolades. This is the miserable arithmetic of envy. A man given to envy cannot rejoice in the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine things he has if his neighbor has ten thousand. He does not see his own blessings; he only sees what he perceives as the superior blessing of another. This is the sin of comparison, and it is a direct assault on the providence of God. To be envious is to tell God that He is a bad distributor of gifts.
And Saul immediately understands the political implications. "Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" He is exactly right. His conclusion is correct, but his premise is all wrong. He thinks this is a human plot, a popularity contest that David is winning. He does not see that this is the sovereign hand of God, visibly transferring His blessing and anointing from one man to another. Saul's rejection by God has made him paranoid. Because he is no longer secure in God, he cannot be secure in anything. He sees a rival in every rising star, a threat in every song of praise. A leader who is not right with God will always view the giftedness of others as a threat to himself, rather than as a gift to the whole kingdom.
The Gaze of Suspicion (v. 9)
This internal rage and envious calculation now solidifies into a settled disposition. The relationship is forever changed.
"So Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on." (1 Samuel 18:9 LSB)
The Hebrew for "looked at with suspicion" is literally "to eye" someone. It is the gaze of a predator. It is a watchful, hostile, suspicious stare. From this moment on, Saul can never again see David as a loyal servant, a gifted warrior, or a blessing to Israel. He can only see him as a rival, a usurper, a threat to be managed and, eventually, eliminated. Every success David has will now be interpreted by Saul through this lens of suspicion. Every wise action will be seen as a clever political move. Every victory will be another reason to hate him.
This is what envy does. It poisons the well of perception. Once envy takes root, you can no longer see reality as it is. You see a twisted version of reality, colored by your own bitterness. Envy is a pair of jaundiced glasses that makes everything look sick. Saul is no longer reacting to David's actions; he is reacting to the phantom David his envy has created in his own mind.
"From that day on." This is a permanent shift. A line has been crossed in Saul's heart. The rottenness in his bones has now spread to his eyes. He is a man who has declared war on God's chosen, and in so doing, has declared war on God Himself. This is the path of every tyrant. It begins with insecurity, is fueled by envy, and results in a paranoid suspicion that must control or destroy anyone who is a reminder of God's blessing and their own failure.
The Two Anointings
This story is a tale of two leadership models, a tale of two anointings. Saul represents worldly leadership. He has the position, the title, and the crown. But his authority is external. It is propped up by his own ego and the fear he can instill in others. When his ego is threatened, his only recourse is anger, suspicion, and violence. He is a man holding onto power for his own sake. His primary question is, "How does this affect me?"
David represents godly leadership. He has been anointed by God, but he does not yet have the throne. His authority is internal, flowing from the fact that "the LORD was with him" (1 Sam. 18:12). He is not grasping for power. He is simply being faithful in the tasks given to him, whether tending sheep or fighting giants. He is a man living for the glory of God and the good of God's people. His primary question is, "How can I serve God's purposes here?"
This is the great conflict that runs through all of Scripture. It is the conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. It is Cain, envious of Abel's accepted offering. It is the chief priests, delivering Jesus over to Pilate "out of envy" (Mark 15:10). The world system, represented by Saul, cannot tolerate the existence of a man who is manifestly blessed by God, because that man's very existence is a judgment on their own rebellion.
And so, what is our application? It is first to examine our own hearts. When another person is blessed, when their ministry thrives, when their children are faithful, when they receive the promotion, what is your first, gut-level reaction? Is it the spontaneous joy of the women of Israel, celebrating a victory for the kingdom? Or is it the cold, angry calculation of Saul, wondering what their success means for you? If you find that envious root in your heart, you must treat it like the cancer it is. Confess it, repent of it, and mortify it. Starve it by giving thanks for God's providence in your own life, and learn to rejoice with those who rejoice.
Second, we must understand how God works. God raises up and He brings down. His anointing is not tied to our positions or our pedigrees. He is always about the business of replacing the proud Sauls with the humble Davids. And when we see His hand of blessing on another, we must not resist it or resent it. We must recognize it and get behind it. Jonathan, Saul's own son, understood this. He loved David and recognized God's hand on him, and so he submitted to God's choice. Saul resisted it, and it destroyed him.
Finally, we must look to the greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate anointed one, the one who came not to be served but to serve. The rulers of this world were envious of Him. They saw His wisdom, His power, and the love the people had for Him, and they could not stand it. Their envy drove them to the cross. But what they meant for evil, God meant for good. Through that ultimate act of envious rage, God secured the ultimate victory. Jesus is the one who has truly slain His ten thousands. He has crushed the head of the serpent, defeated sin and death, and established a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in His kingdom, there is no room for the green-eyed tyrant of envy, for He is the King, and all the glory and all the praise belong to Him alone.