1 Samuel 18:10-19 - Saul Attempts To Kill David

¹⁰ Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul, and he raved [madly] inside his house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and there was a spear in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.

¹² Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. ¹³ So Saul had David removed from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and he publicly associated with the people. ¹⁴ David acted wisely and prospered in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he publicly associated with them. ¹⁷ 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.”

¹⁸ David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was [instead] given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.