The Meaning of 1 Samuel 18:5 Explained

1 Samuel 18:5

KJV: And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

YLT: And David goeth out whithersoever Saul doth send him; he acted wisely, and Saul setteth him over the men of war, and it is good in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

Darby: And David went forth; whithersoever Saul sent him he prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

ASV: And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  went out  whithersoever Saul  sent  him, [and] behaved himself wisely:  and Saul  set  him over the men  of war,  and he was accepted  in the sight  of all the people,  and also in the sight  of Saul's  servants. 

What does 1 Samuel 18:5 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 18:1-9 - A Loyal Friend And A Jealous Enemy
These verses make very good reading. They present the one ray of light in a story which, from this point on, becomes more and more somber. David's bearing in the hour of victory was so modest and unaffected that Jonathan's heart leaped out to greet him as a kindred soul; while his advances awoke in David a love almost womanly in its tenderness. When we see Jonathan arraying his newfound friend in his own raiment, we are reminded of our Lord's great exchange with us. He was made sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him, 2 Corinthians 5:21.
David's harp was now, for the most part, exchanged for the sword, and he became a popular hero. It was the refrain of the women's ode of victory that opened Saul's soul to the envenomed dart of jealousy. The milk of human kindness suddenly turned sour. "He eyed David from that day," not with affectionate admiration, but always with desire to place a malicious construction on every act and word and look. With terrible accuracy James shows the certain progress and development of such an attitude, James 1:14-15. [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 18:5 mean?

So went out David wherever wherever sent him Saul [and] behaved wisely and set him Saul over the men of war and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also of servants of Saul -
וַיֵּצֵ֨א דָוִ֜ד בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁלָחֶ֤נּוּ שָׁאוּל֙ יַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַיְשִׂמֵ֣הוּ שָׁא֔וּל עַ֖ל אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיִּיטַב֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י כָל־ הָעָ֔ם וְגַ֕ם עַבְדֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל פ

וַיֵּצֵ֨א  So  went  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
דָוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בְּכֹל֩  wherever 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִשְׁלָחֶ֤נּוּ  sent  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
שָׁאוּל֙  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
יַשְׂכִּ֔יל  [and]  behaved  wisely 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂכַל 
Sense: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper.
וַיְשִׂמֵ֣הוּ  and  set  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
שָׁא֔וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
עַ֖ל  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה  of  war 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וַיִּיטַב֙  and  he  was  accepted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
בְּעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
כָל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְגַ֕ם  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
עַבְדֵ֥י  of  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
שָׁאֽוּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation