1 Samuel 18:7
◄  1 Samuel 18:7  ►
New International Version (©2011)
As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."

New Living Translation (©2007)
This was their song: "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!"

English Standard Version (©2001)
And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
As they celebrated, the women sang: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.

International Standard Version (©2012)
As the women sang and played, they said, "Saul has struck down his thousands but David his ten thousands."

NET Bible (©2006)
The women who were playing the music sang, "Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands!"

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The women who were celebrating sang, "Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands!"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And the women sang to one another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

American King James Version
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

American Standard Version
And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

Darby Bible Translation
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath smitten his thousands, And David his ten thousands.

English Revised Version
And the women sang one to another in their play, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

World English Bible
The women sang one to another as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands."

Young's Literal Translation
and the women answer -- those playing, and say, 'Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:6-11 David's troubles not only immediately follow his triumphs, but arise from them; such is the vanity of that which seems greatest in this world. It is a sign that the Spirit of God is departed from men, if, like Saul, they are peevish, envious, suspicious, and ill-natured. Compare David, with his harp in his hand, aiming to serve Saul, and Saul, with his javelin in his hand, aiming to slay David; and observe the sweetness and usefulness of God's persecuted people, and the barbarity of their persecutors. But David's safety must be ascribed to God's providence.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - The women answered. I.e. they sang alternately. It was this alternate singing which led to the psalms being composed in parallel sentences, and not in metre; and we from the temple service have inherited our method of chanting antiphonally. As they played. The word is ambiguous, and to an English reader would suggest the idea of the women playing upon the musical instruments. It usually refers to merriment, and so in Zechariah 8:5 it is used of the children playing in the streets, but especially it refers to dancing. Thus in 2 Samuel 2:14 it is used of a war dance ending in a real conflict; and again (2 Samuel 6:5, 21; 1 Chronicles 13:8; 1 Chronicles 15:29) of David dancing to instruments of music, before the ark. Michal probably would not have despised David for playing an instrument of music during a religious ceremony; it was the posturing of the dance which seemed to her beneath the dignity of a king. So these women danced in alternate choruses to the beating of their tambourines and triangles. In Judges 16:25, where, however, it is in a different conjugation, the verb is translated "to make sport." Really Samson was compelled to dance Israel's national war dance before the Philistines.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the women answered one another as they played,.... They sung vocally to their instruments, and that by turns, one rehearsing one line or verse in the song, and then the other another:

and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands; which, if to be referred to the battle in the preceding chapter, as it commonly is, must be understood thus, that though Saul, in pursuit of the Philistines, slew many thousands of them, and David but one, even Goliath; yet the slaying of him was the occasion of slaying ten thousands, and therefore it is ascribed to him: but it seems rather that in some after battles David had been more prosperous and victorious than Saul, and therefore superior commendations are given him by the author of the song the women sung; which, however just it might be to give them, was not wise, since it served to irritate their king, as follows.

1 Samuel 18:7 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Saul Envies David
5And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. …

Exodus 15:21 Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea."
1 Samuel 21:11 But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"
1 Samuel 29:5 Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"
2 Samuel 6:5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.
2 Samuel 18:3 But the men said, "You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city."