The Meaning of 1 Samuel 18:25 Explained

1 Samuel 18:25

KJV: And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

YLT: And Saul saith, 'Thus do ye say to David, There is no delight to the king in dowry, but in a hundred foreskins of the Philistines -- to be avenged on the enemies of the king;' and Saul thought to cause David to fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Darby: 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. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

ASV: And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 1 Samuel 18:25 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 18:22-30 - Prospered In Spite Of Plots
The affection of Michal for the young warrior suggested a way of luring David into personal conflict with the Philistines. Saul's secret hope was that he might fall a victim to their prowess. David at first took no notice of the royal proposals, because the king had already failed to keep his word; but when the courtiers explained the terms, David accepted the challenge. Saul was playing his game with great adroitness. On the one hand, his attendants genuinely believed that he delighted in David and desired the alliance; while on the other, see his true motive in 1 Samuel 18:25.
Once more Saul was foiled, for, within the appointed time, David secured double the king's requirement, and Michal became his wife. If jealous people would only ponder this story, they would discover the uselessness of setting themselves athwart God's manifest purpose in another's life. See Psalms 7:11-13; Psalms 7:16, r.v. Don't sulk, don't detract, don't sow suspicions. Take your father's side, you elder brother! Go into the banqueting-hall, salute your younger brother, and enter into the general joy. If you choose the generous course, and affirm it, you will find the joy welling in your heart. Stand your ground in Christ against your unworthy, selfish, lower self! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 18

1  Jonathan befriends David
5  Saul envies his praise
10  seeks to kill him in his fury
12  fears him for his good success
17  offers him his daughters for snare
23  David persuaded to be the king's son-in-law,
25  gives two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal's dowry
28  Saul's hatred and David's glory increase

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 18:25 mean?

And said Saul thus you shall say to David not does desire the king any dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines to take vengeance on enemies' Of the king but Saul thought to make fall - David by the hand of the Philistines
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל כֹּֽה־ תֹאמְר֣וּ לְדָוִ֗ד אֵֽין־ חֵ֤פֶץ לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּמֹ֔הַר כִּ֗י בְּמֵאָה֙ עָרְל֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים לְהִנָּקֵ֖ם בְּאֹיְבֵ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְשָׁא֣וּל חָשַׁ֔ב לְהַפִּ֥יל אֶת־ דָּוִ֖ד בְּיַד־ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שָׁא֜וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
תֹאמְר֣וּ  you  shall  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְדָוִ֗ד  to  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
חֵ֤פֶץ  does  desire 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵפֶץ  
Sense: delight, pleasure.
לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בְּמֹ֔הַר  any  dowry 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹהַר  
Sense: purchase price for wife, wedding money.
בְּמֵאָה֙  a  hundred 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, feminine singular
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
עָרְל֣וֹת  foreskins 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: הָעֲרָלֹות 
Sense: foreskin, uncircumcised.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
לְהִנָּקֵ֖ם  to  take  vengeance 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: נָקַם  
Sense: to avenge, take vengeance, revenge, avenge oneself, be avenged, be punished.
בְּאֹיְבֵ֣י  on  enemies' 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  Of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְשָׁא֣וּל  but  Saul 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
חָשַׁ֔ב  thought 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
לְהַפִּ֥יל  to  make  fall 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דָּוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בְּיַד־  by  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.