1 Samuel 18:17

18:17 ¹ Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior ²  for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”

1 Samuel 18:21

18:21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.” ³ 

1 Samuel 18:25

18:25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his ⁴  enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)

[18:17]  ¹ tc Much of the ms evidence for the LXX lacks vv. 17-19.

[18:17]  ² tn Heb “son of valor.”

[18:21]  ³ tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX mss.

[18:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “the king’s.”