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1 Samuel 18 · a question people ask

Hadn't Saul already promised his daughter to whoever killed Goliath?

In the text

Before the fight, the men of Israel said of Goliath, "The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter" (17:25). Chapter 18 doesn't mention those words. Here Saul offers his elder daughter with a condition: "Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles" (18:17). The same verse gives his reason: "let the hand of the Philistines be on him" (18:17). David answers, "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?" (18:18). Then, "at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife" (18:19). The chapter doesn't say why. It is Michal who becomes David's wife (18:27), after the dowry Saul set (18:25).

The verses

“The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house tax-free in Israel.””
1 Samuel 17:25 · 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 the LORD’s battles.” For Saul said, “Don’t let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.” 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?” But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.”
1 Samuel 18:17-19 · World English Bible
“Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 18:25 · World English Bible
“David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.”
1 Samuel 18:27 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18: As his own soul

Every time chapter 18 uses the Hebrew verb for love, David is the one loved: by Jonathan, by all Israel and Judah, by Michal, and, in Saul's own message, by all his servants (18:1, 18:16, 18:20, 18:22, 18:28). Saul alone is afraid of him, and the chapter gives the reason: "because the LORD was with him" (18:12).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions