1 Samuel

1 Samuel 18:17–18

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”

Read all of 1 Samuel 18

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 18:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Saul	שָׁא֜וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
David	דָּוִ֗ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
Here	הִנֵּה֩	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
is my older	הַגְּדוֹלָ֤ה	hag·gə·ḏō·w·lāh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
daughter	בִתִּ֨י	ḇit·tî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H1323 daughter
Merab	מֵרַב֙	mê·raḇ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4764 Merab
I will give her	אֶתֶּן־	’et·ten-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H5414 give, put, set
to you	לְךָ֣	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
in marriage	לְאִשָּׁ֔ה	lə·’iš·šāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
Only	אַ֚ךְ	’aḵ	Adverb	H389 surely
be	הֱיֵה־	hĕ·yêh-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
valiant	חַ֔יִל	ḥa·yil	Noun - masculine singular	H2428 strength, efficiency, wealth, army
for me	לִּ֣י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
and fight	וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם	wə·hil·lā·ḥêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular	H3898 fight, do battle
the LORD’s	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
battles	מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת	mil·ḥă·mō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H4421 battle, war
But Saul	וְשָׁא֣וּל	wə·šā·’ūl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
was thinking	אָמַ֗ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
I need not raise	תְּהִ֤י	tə·hî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
my hand	יָדִי֙	yā·ḏî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H3027 hand
against him	בּ֔וֹ	bōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
let the hand	יַד־	yaḏ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
of the Philistines	פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ס	pə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
be	וּתְהִי־	ū·ṯə·hî-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
against him	ב֖וֹ	ḇōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular

1 Samuel 18:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And David	דָּוִ֜ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Saul	שָׁא֗וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
Who	מִ֤י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
am I	אָֽנֹכִי֙	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
and what	וּמִ֣י	ū·mî	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4310 who?
is my family	חַיַּ֔י	ḥay·yay	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H2416 alive, living
or my father’s	אָבִ֖י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
clan	מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת	miš·pa·ḥaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H4940 clan
in Israel	בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	bə·yiś·rā·’êl	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
that	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I should become	אֶהְיֶ֥ה	’eh·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the son-in-law	חָתָ֖ן	ḥā·ṯān	Noun - masculine singular	H2860 daughter's husband, bride-groom
of the king	לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃	lam·me·leḵ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 18:17 1 Samuel 25:28 · 1 Samuel 17:25 · 1 Samuel 18:25 · 1 Samuel 18:21 · 1 Samuel 17:47

1 Samuel 18:18 2 Samuel 7:18 · 1 Samuel 18:23 · 1 Samuel 9:21 · Ruth 2:10 · Exodus 3:11

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.