1 Samuel 18:23
New International Version
They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

New Living Translation
When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, “How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”

English Standard Version
And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?”

Berean Standard Bible
But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”

King James Bible
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

New King James Version
So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?”

New American Standard Bible
So Saul’s servants spoke these words to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am only a poor man and insignificant?”

NASB 1995
So Saul’s servants spoke these words to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”

NASB 1977
So Saul’s servants spoke these words to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?”

Legacy Standard Bible
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?”

Amplified Bible
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?”

Christian Standard Bible
Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, but he replied, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor commoner.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, but he replied, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor man who is common.”

American Standard Version
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Servants of Shaul said to David these words, and David said: “Is this low in your eyes to be a son in law to the King, and I am a poor man and lowly?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David; and David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? Whereas I am an humble man, an not honourable?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king's son in law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.

English Revised Version
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Saul's officers made it a point to say this, David asked, "Do you think it's easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person."

Good News Translation
So they told this to David, and he answered, "It's a great honor to become the king's son-in-law, too great for someone poor and insignificant like me."

International Standard Version
Saul's officials delivered this message to David, and he asked, "Is becoming the king's son-in-law an unimportant thing to you? I'm a poor and unimportant man."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said: 'Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

Literal Standard Version
And the servants of Saul speak these words in the ears of David, and David says, “Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law of the king—and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?”

Majority Standard Bible
But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”

New American Bible
But when Saul’s servants mentioned this to David, he said: “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law a trivial matter in your eyes? I am poor and insignificant.”

NET Bible
So Saul's servants spoke these words privately to David. David replied, "Is becoming the king's son-in-law something insignificant to you? I'm just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!"

New Revised Standard Version
So Saul’s servants reported these words to David in private. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of no repute?”

New Heart English Bible
Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, "Does it seems to you a little thing to be the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man, and insignificant?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

World English Bible
Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”

Young's Literal Translation
And the servants of Saul speak in the ears of David these words, and David saith, 'Is it a light thing in your eyes to be son-in-law to the king -- and I a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Marries Michal
22Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’ ” 23But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.” 24And the servants told Saul what David had said.…

Cross References
Genesis 29:20
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

Genesis 34:12
Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!"

1 Samuel 18:18
And David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?"

1 Samuel 18:22
Then Saul ordered his servants, "Speak to David privately and tell him, 'Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.'"

1 Samuel 18:24
And the servants told Saul what David had said.


Treasury of Scripture

And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seems it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

a light

1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

a poor man

1 Samuel 9:21
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

Proverbs 14:20
The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

Proverbs 19:6,7
Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts…

and lightly

Psalm 119:141
I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

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David Ears Esteemed I'm King's Light Little Matter Poor Repeated Repute Saul's Seem Seemeth Seems Servants Sight Small Son-In-Law Think Trivial Words
1 Samuel 18
1. Jonathan befriends David
5. Saul envies his praise
10. seeks to kill him in his fury
12. fears him for his good success
17. offers him his daughters for snare
23. David persuaded to be the king's son-in-law,
25. gives two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal's dowry
28. Saul's hatred and David's glory increase














(23) I am a poor man.--David dwells upon this fact of his utter inability to give the expected costly offering for the princess. He evidently attributes to his poverty and his successful rival's wealth his former disappointment in the case of Merab.

And lightly esteemed.--David looked upon himself as a mere successful soldier of fortune among the wealthy chiefs who surrounded Saul. His father--though, no doubt, "head man" or sheik in tiny Bethlehem--was, compared with the elders of Israel who formed the Court of Saul, a poor man.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But when Saul's
שָׁאוּל֙ (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

servants
עַבְדֵ֤י (‘aḇ·ḏê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

relayed these
הָאֵ֑לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

words
הַדְּבָרִ֖ים (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

to David,
דָוִ֔ד (ḏā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

he
דָּוִ֗ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

replied,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Does it seem trivial
הַֽנְקַלָּ֤ה (han·qal·lāh)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling

in your sight
בְעֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ (ḇə·‘ê·nê·ḵem)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

to be the son-in-law
הִתְחַתֵּ֣ן (hiṯ·ḥat·tên)
Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2859: To give, away in marriage, to contract affinity by marriage

of the king?
בַּמֶּ֔לֶךְ (bam·me·leḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

I
וְאָנֹכִ֖י (wə·’ā·nō·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

am a poor
רָ֥שׁ (rāš)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7326: To be in want or poor

man
אִֽישׁ־ (’îš-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

and lightly esteemed.”
וְנִקְלֶֽה׃ (wə·niq·leh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7034: To be lightly esteemed or dishonored


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OT History: 1 Samuel 18:23 Saul's servants spoke those words (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 18:22
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