Heads Of The Philistines.

1. Now the women were an occasion of Saul's envy and hatred to David;
for they came to meet their victorious army with cymbals, and drums, and
all demonstrations of joy, and sang thus: The wives said, that "Saul had
slain his many thousands of the Philistines." The virgins replied,
that "David had slain his ten thousands." Now, when the king heard
them singing thus, and that he had himself the smallest share in their
commendations, and the greater number, the ten thousands, were ascribed
to the young man; and when he considered with himself that there was
nothing more wanting to David, after such a mighty applause, but the
kingdom; he began to be afraid and suspicious of David. Accordingly
he removed him from the station he was in before, for he was his
armor-bearer, which, out of fear, seemed to him much too near a station
for him; and so he made him captain over a thousand, and bestowed on
him a post better indeed in itself, but, as he thought, more for his
own security; for he had a mind to send him against the enemy, and into
battles, as hoping he would be slain in such dangerous conflicts.

2. But David had God going along with him whithersoever he went, and
accordingly he greatly prospered in his undertakings, and it was visible
that he had mighty success, insomuch that Saul's daughter, who was still
a virgin, fell in love with him; and her affection so far prevailed over
her, that it could not be concealed, and her father became acquainted
with it. Now Saul heard this gladly, as intending to make use of it for
a snare against David, and he hoped that it would prove the cause of
destruction and of hazard to him; so he told those that informed him of
his daughter's affection, that he would willingly give David the virgin
in marriage, and said, "I engage myself to marry my daughter to him if
he will bring me six hundred heads of my enemies [17] supposing that
when a reward so ample was proposed to him, and when he should aim to
get him great glory, by undertaking a thing so dangerous and incredible,
he would immediately set about it, and so perish by the Philistines;
and my designs about him will succeed finely to my mind, for I shall be
freed from him, and get him slain, not by myself, but by another man."
So he gave order to his servants to try how David would relish this
proposal of marrying the damsel. Accordingly, they began to speak thus
to him: That king Saul loved him, as well a