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Context No. 817 of 4322 · 1 Samuel

Context · Reflection

1 Samuel 18:6-13: in context

6As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 8Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” 9Saul watched David from that day and forward. 10On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. 12Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul. 13Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

David has just killed Goliath and saved Israel, and as the army comes home the women pour out of every town, dancing and singing a victory song: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. It is a song of celebration, and David's part in it was entirely for Saul's benefit; he fought Saul's enemy and won Saul's battle. But Saul hears only one thing in it, the comparison. They have given David ten thousands, he says, and me only thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom? From that day, the text says, Saul eyed David. A single line in a song, tallying one man higher than another, has turned a loyal servant into a rival in the king's mind.

And the jealousy curdles fast. The very next day, when David is doing what he always does, playing the lyre to soothe Saul's tormented spirit, Saul hurls his spear at him, twice, meaning to pin him to the wall. The man who calms him becomes the man he tries to kill, because he cannot bear that God is with David and the crowds love him more. Nothing David did was against Saul; he served him, fought for him, soothed him. But comparison had done its poisoning work, and Saul could no longer receive David's greatness as a gift to his own kingdom. He could only feel it as a subtraction from himself. The song praised them both. Saul heard only that he had come in second.

Saul could not enjoy a victory that served him, because the song gave David a larger share of the praise. Whose success, even success that helped me, have I let a comparison turn into something I resent?

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