1 Samuel 18:22

And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) Behold, the king hath delight in thee.—Lange quaintly sees in this fluent discourse of the courtiers “something of the flattering, conciliatory tone usual in such circles.”

Benson Commentary

1 Samuel 18:22-23. Commune with David secretly — It seems David was not forward to embrace Saul’s offer, having been before so grossly abused. Therefore Saul ordered his courtiers, in private discourse, to take occasion to persuade him to it. Seeing that I am a poor man — Having no estate, and of small credit; and therefore unable to endow her according to her quality.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:12-30 For a long time David was kept in continual apprehension of falling by the hand of Saul, yet he persevered in meek and respectful behaviour towards his persecutor. How uncommon is such prudence and discretion, especially under insults and provocations! Let us inquire if we imitate this part of the exemplary character before us. Are we behaving wisely in all our ways? Is there no sinful omission, no rashness of spirit, nothing wrong in our conduct? Opposition and perverseness in others, will not excuse wrong tempers in us, but should increase our care, and attention to the duties of our station. Consider Him that endured contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds, Heb 12:3. If David magnified the honour of being son-in-law to king Saul, how should we magnify the honour of being sons to the King of kings!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the one of the twain - Some prefer "the second time" Job 33:14. The first contract had been broken by giving Merab to Adriel.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

20. Michal Saul's daughter loved David—This must have happened some time after.

they told Saul, and the thing pleased him—Not from any favor to David, but he saw that it would be turned to the advancement of his malicious purposes, and the more so when, by the artful intrigues and flattery of his spies, the loyal sentiments of David were discovered.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Commune with David, whom having so lately and grossly deceived, he found backward to embrace his motion, and therefore sets others on work to persuade him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Saul commanded his servants, saying, commune with David secretly,.... And persuade him to marry Michal, and assure him of Saul's real regard to him, and good intention towards him; for it seems that David being ill used in the affair of his eldest daughter, did not listen to the proposals of Saul as to the youngest, and therefore Saul took this method to bring him into them:

and say, behold, the king hath a delight in thee; bore a good will towards him, had an high opinion of him, and it would be a pleasure to him that he should he his son-in-law:

and all his servants love thee; which might be true in general, excepting some few; which was no small mortification to Saul, though he here pleads it, and puts his servants on making use of it to gain his present purpose:

now therefore be the king's son in law; accept of the proposal he has made, and marry his youngest daughter.

Geneva Study Bible

And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. Commune] i.e. “converse.” The word is derived from Lat. communicare, through the old Fr. communier. It would seem that David mistrusted Saul and returned no answer, so Saul set his courtiers to work to persuade him.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 22, 23. - Commune, etc. This is a more full and exact account of what was said summarily in ver. 21. We cannot suppose that Saul first spoke to David himself, and then told his servants to coax him, as this would also require us to suppose that when offered her by Saul, David refused Michal in marriage. But we may well believe that he was displeased at having been deceived, and that the renewed proposal of marriage with one of the king's daughters had to be made carefully, as he might naturally think that there was danger of his being cajoled a second time. David replies, in fact, very discreetly, saying that to be the king's son-in-law was indeed a great honour, but that he was too poor to provide a sufficient dowry. Strictly the promises given in 1 Samuel 17:25 bound Saul to give her without dowry; but it appears quite plainly from David's words that he had lost Merab because not able to purchase her as Adriel had done. For the custom of giving large sums to the bride's father see Genesis 34:12; Exodus 22:16, 17. 1 Samuel 18:22

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Saul therefore employed his courtiers to persuade David to accept his offer. In this way we may reconcile in a very simple manner the apparent discrepancy, that Saul is said to have offered his daughter to David himself, and yet he commissioned his servants to talk to David privately of the king's willingness to give him his daughter. The omission of 1 Samuel 18:21 in the Septuagint is to be explained partly from the fact that בּשׁתּים points back to 1 Samuel 18:17-19, which are wanting in this version, and partly also in all probability from the idea entertained by the translators that the statement itself is at variance with 1 Samuel 18:22. The courtiers were to talk to David בּלּט, "in private," i.e., as though they were doing it behind the king's back.