Why David Must Run Away

AFTER David kills Go·liʹath, Israel’s army chief Abʹner brings him to Saul. Saul is very pleased with David. He makes him a chief in his army and takes him to live at the king’s house.

Later, when the army returns from fighting the Phi·lisʹtines, the women sing: ‘Saul has killed thousands, but David tens of thousands.’ This makes Saul jealous, because David is given more honor than Saul is. But Saul’s son Jonʹa·than is not jealous. He loves David very much, and David loves Jonʹa·than too. So the two make a promise to each other that they will always be friends.

David is a very good player of the harp, and Saul likes the music that he plays. But one day Saul’s jealousy causes him to do a terrible thing. While David is playing the harp, Saul takes his spear and throws it, saying: ‘I will pin David to the wall!’ But David dodges, and the spear misses. Later Saul misses David again with his spear. So David knows now that he must be very careful.

Do you remember the promise that Saul made? He said that he would give his daughter to be the wife of the man who killed Go·liʹath. Saul at last tells David that he can have his daughter Miʹchal, but first he must kill 100 of the enemy Phi·lisʹtines. Think of that! Saul really hopes that the Phi·lisʹtines will kill David. But they don’t, and so Saul gives his daughter to be David’s wife.

One day Saul tells Jonʹa·than and all his servants that he wants to kill David. But Jonʹa·than says to his father: ‘Don’t hurt David. He has never done anything wrong to you. Rather, everything he has done has been a great help to you. He risked his life when he killed Go·liʹath, and when you saw it, you were glad.’

Saul listens to his son, and he promises not to hurt David. David is brought back, and he serves Saul in his house again just as he did before. One day, however, while David is playing music, Saul again throws his spear at David. David dodges, and the spear hits the wall. This is the third time! David knows now that he must run away!

That night David goes to his own house. But Saul sends some men to kill him. Miʹchal knows what her father plans to do. So she tells her husband: ‘If you don’t get away tonight, tomorrow you will be dead.’ That night Miʹchal helps David to escape through a window. For about seven years David must hide in one place after another so that Saul cannot find him.