Parallel Verses

A Conservative Version

And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to thee for a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be

New American Standard Bible

Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

King James Version

And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

Holman Bible

Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife, if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “My hand doesn’t need to be against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

International Standard Version

Saul told David, "Here is my older daughter Merab. I'll give her to you as a wife. Just be an excellent soldier for me and fight the LORD's battles." Now Saul told himself, "I won't harm him myself. Instead, I'll let the Philistines harm him."

American Standard Version

And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

Amplified

Then Saul said to David, “Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

Bible in Basic English

And Saul said to David, Here is my oldest daughter Merab, whom I will give you for your wife: only be strong for me, fighting in the Lord's wars. For Saul said, Let it not be through me that his fate comes to him, but through the Philistines.

Darby Translation

And Saul said to David, Behold my eldest daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight Jehovah's battles. But Saul thought, My hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him.

Julia Smith Translation

And Saul will say to David, Behold, my daughter the great, Merab; her will I give to thee for wife; but be thou to me for a son of strength and fight the battles of Jehovah. And Saul said, My hand shall not be upon him, and the hand of the rovers shall be upon him.

King James 2000

And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give you as your wife: only be you valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

Lexham Expanded Bible

Then Saul said to David, "Here [is] my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you as [your] wife. Only be {a brave warrior} for me and fight the battles of Yahweh." For Saul thought, "My hand will not be against him, but let the hand of [the] Philistines be against him."

Modern King James verseion

And Saul said to David, Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab for a wife. Only you be a brave son for me and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Then said Saul to David, "Behold, my eldest daughter Merab: her I will give thee to wife; only play the man and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Mine hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines."

NET Bible

Then Saul said to David, "Here's my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior for me and fight the battles of the Lord." For Saul thought, "There's no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!"

New Heart English Bible

Saul said to David, "Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul said, "Do not let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him."

The Emphasized Bible

So then Saul said unto David - Lo! my elder daughter Merab, her, will I give thee to wife, only, approve thyself unto me as a son of valour and fight the battles of Yahweh. Saul, however, had said to himself - Let not, my own hand, be upon him, but let, the hand of the Philistines, be upon him.

Webster

And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee for a wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

World English Bible

Saul said to David, "Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight Yahweh's battles." For Saul said, "Don't let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him."

Youngs Literal Translation

And Saul saith unto David, 'Lo, my elder daughter Merab -- her I give to thee for a wife; only, be to me for a son of valour, and fight the battles of Jehovah;' and Saul said, 'Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.'

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
שׁאוּל 
Sha'uwl 
Usage: 406

to David
דּויד דּוד 
David 
Usage: 1074

גּדל גּדול 
Gadowl 
Usage: 528

בּת 
Bath 
Usage: 587

מרב 
merab 
Usage: 3

her will I give
נתן 
Nathan 
Usage: 2011

thee to wife
נשׁים אשּׁה 
'ishshah 
Usage: 780

for me, and fight
לחם 
Lacham 
Usage: 177

the Lord's

Usage: 0

מלחמה 
Milchamah 
Usage: 319

שׁאוּל 
Sha'uwl 
Usage: 406

Let not mine hand
יד 
Yad 
Usage: 1612

be upon him, but let the hand
יד 
Yad 
Usage: 1612

of the Philistines
פּלשׁתּי 
P@lishtiy 
Usage: 288

References

American

Easton

Fausets

Hastings

Morish

Smith

Context Readings

David Marries Saul's Daughter Michal

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. 17 And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to thee for a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be 18 And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

Cross References

1 Samuel 17:25

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely to defy Israel he has come up. And it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and m

1 Samuel 18:25

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 25:28

Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid. For LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of LORD, and evil shall not be found in thee all thy days.

1 Samuel 18:21

And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, Thou shall this day be my son-in-law a second time.

1 Samuel 17:47

and that all this assembly may know that LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.

Numbers 21:14

Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of LORD, Vaheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,

Numbers 32:20

And Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will arm yourselves to go before LORD to the war,

Numbers 32:27

but thy servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before LORD to battle, as my lord says.

Numbers 32:29

And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man that is armed to battle, before LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you, then ye shall give them the land of Gil

Deuteronomy 17:7

The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shall put away the evil from the midst of thee.

2 Samuel 11:15

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

2 Samuel 12:9

Why have thou despised the word of LORD, to do that which is evil in his sight? Thou have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be thy wife, and have slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Psalm 12:2

They speak falsehood everyone with his neighbor. With flattering lip, and with a double heart, they speak.

Psalm 55:21

His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain