Matthew Henry's Complete Bible Commentary

1 Samuel 18

In the course of the foregoing chapter we left David in triumph; now in this chapter we have, I. The improvement of his triumphs; he soon became, 1. Saul’s constant attendant, 1 Samuel 18:2. 2. Jonathan’s covenant friend, 1 Samuel 18:1, 18:3, 18:4. 3. The darling of his country, 1 Samuel 18:5, 18:7, 18:16. II. The allays of his triumphs. This is the vanity that accompanies even a right work, that “for it a man is envied,” Ecclesiastes 4:4. So David was by Saul. 1. He hated him, and sought to kill him himself, 1 Samuel 18:8-18:11. 2. He feared him, and contrived how he might have some mischief done him, 1 Samuel 18:12-18:17. He proposed to marry his daughter to him; but, [1.] cheated him of the eldest to provoke him (1 Samuel 18:19), and, [2.] Gave him the younger, upon conditions which would endanger his life, 1 Samuel 18:20-18:25. But David performed his conditions bravely (1 Samuel 18:26, 18:27), and grew to be more and more esteemed, 1 Samuel 18:28-18:30. Still David is rising, but (as all that aim at the crown of life must expect) he had a great deal of difficulty and opposition to grapple with. MHBCC 255.1