Parallel Verses

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."

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."

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

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.

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, because he went out and in before them. 17 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." 18 And David answered Saul, "What am I? And what is my life or the kindred of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

Cross References

1 Samuel 17:25

And every man of Israel said, "See ye this man that is come forth; even to revile Israel is he come. And to him that beateth him will the king give great riches, and will give him his daughter thereto: yea and make his father's house free in Israel."

1 Samuel 18:25

Then said Saul, "This wise say to David: 'The king careth for no other dowry but for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies." For Saul thought to make David fall into the hands of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 25:28

Forgive the trespass of thine handmaid that the LORD may make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and there could none evil be found in thee in all thy life.

1 Samuel 18:21

And he said, "I will give him her that she may be a snare to him, to bring the hand of the Philistines upon him." And Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law again."

1 Samuel 17:47

And all this congregation shall know that the LORD saveth not with the sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he shall give you into our hands."

Numbers 21:14

Wherefore it is spoken in the book of the war of the LORD, "Go with a violence, both on the river of Arnon

Numbers 32:20

And Moses said unto them, "If ye will do this thing, that ye will go all harnessed before the LORD to war,

Numbers 32:27

But we thy servants will go all harnessed for the war unto battle before the LORD, as my lord hath said."

Numbers 32:29

and said unto them, "If the children of Gad and Reuben will go with you over Jordan, all prepared to fight before the LORD: then when the land is subdued unto you, give them the land of Gilead to possess.

Deuteronomy 17:7

And the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterward the hands of all the people: so shalt thou put wickedness away from thee.

2 Samuel 11:15

And he wrote in the letter saying, "Put Uriah in the forefront of the battle where it is most strong, and come back from him that he may be smitten to death."

2 Samuel 12:9

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do wickedness in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Psalm 12:2

They talk of vanity every one with his neighbour; they do but flatter with their lips, and dissemble in their double heart.

Psalm 55:21

Their mouths are softer than butter, and yet have they battle in their mind: their words are smoother than oil, and yet be they very 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