The Snares of a Bitter King
Introduction: The War in the Court
We come now to a passage that is thick with palace intrigue, bitterness, and the hidden hand of God's providence. The conflict between Saul and David is not a distant, abstract theological point. It is the story of two hearts, two kingdoms, and two destinies played out in the hallways of power. On the one hand, we have Saul, the rejected king, a man hollowed out by envy and fear. His anointing has been revoked, the Spirit of God has departed from him, and he is now animated by a spirit of paranoia and murder. He sees the writing on the wall, he sees God's favor resting on David, and instead of repenting, he doubles down on his rebellion. He is a man at war with God, and he has chosen David as the focal point of that war.
On the other hand, we have David, the anointed king-in-waiting. The Spirit of the Lord is upon him, and everything he does prospers. He is valiant, prudent, and humble. But we must not think of him as a plaster saint. He is a young man thrust into a viper's nest. He must navigate the treacherous currents of a royal court where the king himself wants him dead. This is a story about how God preserves His chosen one, not by removing him from the trial, but by sustaining him in the midst of it. God is forging a king, and kings are forged in fire.
This passage is a master class in the sovereignty of God over the wicked intentions of men. Saul, in his dark cunning, devises a plan that he believes is foolproof. He will use his own daughter as bait, as a snare, to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines. He wants to kill David, but he wants to do it with plausible deniability. He wants the Philistines to do his dirty work so he can keep his hands clean, at least in the eyes of the people. But as we will see, every scheme of man, every wicked plot, is ultimately harnessed by God to serve His own purposes. Joseph's brothers meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Saul means this for David's destruction, but God will use it for David's exaltation.
This is not just ancient history. This is a pattern. The world, the flesh, and the devil are constantly setting snares for the people of God. They use our desires, our ambitions, and even our relationships as potential traps. But the central lesson here is that no trap can succeed against the one whom God has chosen and with whom God remains. The story of Saul and David is a preview, a shadow, of the ultimate conflict between the serpent and the seed of the woman. It is the story of a rejected king trying to destroy the true king, a conflict that culminates at the cross.
The Text
And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. So they told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes. And Saul said, “I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.” Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David secretly, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; so now, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” So Saul’s servants spoke these words in David’s hearing. But David said, “Is it trivial in your eyes to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?” And the servants of Saul told to him according to these words which David spoke. Saul then said, “Thus you shall say to David, ‘The king does not desire any dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. Then his servants told David these words, and it was right in the eyes of David to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the days had expired, David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. Then Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, so Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
(1 Samuel 18:20-29 LSB)
A Daughter as Bait (vv. 20-21)
The scene opens with a simple statement of fact that Saul immediately twists into an opportunity for evil.
"And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. So they told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes. And Saul said, 'I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.' Therefore Saul said to David, 'For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.'" (1 Samuel 18:20-21)
Notice the contrast. Michal's love for David is genuine. It is a pure affection. But when this news reaches Saul, he doesn't see a happy providence or a good match for his daughter. He sees a tool. He sees leverage. The text says "the thing was right in his eyes," which is a chilling echo of the refrain in the book of Judges, where everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Saul's moral compass is entirely internal and self-referential. His standard is not God's law, but his own bitter agenda.
His intention is stated plainly: "that she may become a snare to him." Saul is willing to weaponize his own daughter's affections. He will use her as bait to lure David into a deadly trap. This is the depth of his depravity. When a man is at war with God, all his natural affections become corrupted. Fatherly love is twisted into murderous cunning. A wedding is plotted as a funeral. He wants to put David in a position where the Philistines will have no choice but to kill him. This is the second time he has offered a daughter to David, the first being Merab, whom he gave to another man. Saul is a liar and a manipulator, and he uses the promise of family intimacy as a cloak for his hatred.
The King's Deceitful Messengers (vv. 22-24)
Saul knows he cannot approach David directly, because David is prudent and likely suspicious. So he employs his servants as intermediaries, instructing them in a campaign of whispered lies.
"Then Saul commanded his servants, 'Speak to David secretly, saying, "Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; so now, become the king’s son-in-law." ' So Saul’s servants spoke these words in David’s hearing. But David said, 'Is it trivial in your eyes to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?'" (1 Samuel 18:22-23)
The instructions are precise: "Speak to David secretly." This is the language of conspiracy. Saul wants to plant these ideas in David's head through back channels. The message itself is a masterpiece of deception. "The king delights in you." This is a bald-faced lie. The king had just been throwing spears at him. "All his servants love you." This part was likely true, which makes the lie more potent. The servants are being used to present a completely false picture of Saul's disposition.
David's response is one of profound humility. He doesn't jump at the chance for royal status. He sees a significant obstacle: "I am a poor man and lightly esteemed." In that culture, a man was expected to pay a bride price, a mohar, to the father of the bride. It was a payment that compensated the family for the loss of their daughter. David, as a young man from a modest family, had no means to pay a royal bride price. His humility here is genuine, but it also serves as a shrewd and cautious defense. He is not eagerly grasping for power or position. This response forces Saul to show his hand.
A Bloody Bride Price (v. 25)
When David's humble response is reported back, Saul unveils the central piece of his trap. He proposes a bride price that is not monetary, but martial.
"Saul then said, 'Thus you shall say to David, "The king does not desire any dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies." ' Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines." (Genesis 18:25)
This is diabolical genius. On the surface, it sounds patriotic and pious. Saul frames it as "vengeance on the king's enemies." He makes it sound as though he is giving David an opportunity for glory, a way to serve the kingdom and earn his bride through valor. He waives the financial requirement, making it seem like a generous offer to the "poor man."
But the narrator pulls back the curtain and shows us the black heart behind the plan: "Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines." The task is designed to be a suicide mission. To acquire one hundred foreskins would require David to engage in ferocious, close-quarters combat with Israel's most formidable enemy. Saul calculates that the odds are overwhelmingly against him. Either David will be killed in the attempt, or, if he somehow succeeds, he will have so enraged the Philistines that they will make it their life's mission to hunt him down. Saul wins either way. The foreskins themselves were a sign of the covenant for Israel, and for the uncircumcised Philistines, a mark of their pagan status. The request was a profound insult to them, ensuring their lasting enmity.
God's Providence in David's Triumph (vv. 26-29)
Saul's plan, however, fails to account for one critical factor: Yahweh is with David. The trap becomes a platform for God's blessing.
"Then his servants told David these words, and it was right in the eyes of David to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the days had expired, David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king..." (1 Samuel 18:26-27)
What was meant to intimidate David instead appeals to him. "It was right in the eyes of David." He sees this not as a death sentence, but as a righteous challenge. He is a warrior, and this is a warrior's task. He is loyal to his king, and this is a way to serve him. And he is a man of God, and this is a way to strike a blow against the enemies of God's people. So he doesn't just meet the requirement; he doubles it. Saul asked for one hundred; David brings back two hundred. This is not arrogance. This is a demonstration of overwhelming divine favor. God is showing Saul, in the clearest possible terms, that his schemes are futile. The man you are trying to kill is under my special protection.
The conclusion of the matter is the exact opposite of what Saul intended. His plot backfires spectacularly.
"So Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. Then Saul saw and knew that Yahweh was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, so Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually." (1 Samuel 18:28-29)
Saul is trapped by his own scheme. He has to give his daughter to the man he hates, formally bringing David into the royal family and elevating his status in the eyes of the nation. The very snare he set has tightened around him. He is forced to see two things he cannot deny: "that Yahweh was with David" and "that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him." God's blessing and human affection were both arrayed on David's side.
And what is the result? Repentance? Submission to God's will? No. The result is that "Saul was even more afraid of David." The clear evidence of God's hand on David does not soften Saul's heart; it hardens it. This is a terrifying picture of a reprobate mind. When a man is committed to his rebellion, even grace appears as a threat. Saul's fear metastasizes into a permanent state of hostility: "So Saul was David's enemy continually." There is no turning back for him. He has made his choice. He will oppose God's anointed to the very end.
The Snare Reversed
There is a profound gospel truth embedded in this narrative. Saul's plan was to use a bride to destroy the anointed king. He set a bloody price, hoping it would lead to David's death. This is a dark and twisted parody of God's plan of redemption.
In the gospel, God the Father does give a bride to His anointed King, the Lord Jesus Christ. That bride is the Church. And there was a bloody price that had to be paid for that bride. But it was not a price paid by us. The price was paid by the King Himself. He did not send us on a suicide mission to defeat His enemies. He went Himself. He faced the ultimate enemy, sin and death, on the cross. He shed His own blood as the bride price for His people.
The great enemy, Satan, thought the cross was his victory. He, like Saul, thought he had set the perfect snare. He stirred up the hearts of wicked men, used the levers of political and religious power, and engineered the death of God's anointed. He thought the grave would be the end of the story. But just as Saul's plan backfired, so did Satan's. The cross was not a defeat; it was the ultimate triumph. The bloody price that was paid did not destroy the King; it purchased His bride and sealed the enemy's doom. Through death, Christ destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14).
Therefore, like David, we can face the snares of our enemy with confidence. Not because we are strong or clever, but because our King has already paid the price. He has already won the victory. And just as Yahweh was with David, so Christ is with us, always, to the end of the age. The plots of wicked men, the hatred of the world, the accusations of the devil, all of it, will in the end only serve to demonstrate the wisdom, power, and invincible love of our God. The things meant as a snare for us will become the platform for His glory.