The Meaning of 1 Samuel 18:8 Explained

1 Samuel 18:8

KJV: And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

YLT: And it is displeasing to Saul exceedingly, and this thing is evil in his eyes, and he saith, 'They have given to David myriads, and to me they have given the thousands, and more to him is only the kingdom;'

Darby: And Saul was very wroth, and that saying was evil in his sight; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed the thousands; and what is there more for him but the kingdom?

ASV: And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Saul  was very  wroth,  and the saying  displeased  him; and he said,  They have ascribed  unto David  ten thousands,  and to me they have ascribed  [but] thousands:  and [what] can he have more but the kingdom? 

What does 1 Samuel 18:8 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 18:1-9 - A Loyal Friend And A Jealous Enemy
These verses make very good reading. They present the one ray of light in a story which, from this point on, becomes more and more somber. David's bearing in the hour of victory was so modest and unaffected that Jonathan's heart leaped out to greet him as a kindred soul; while his advances awoke in David a love almost womanly in its tenderness. When we see Jonathan arraying his newfound friend in his own raiment, we are reminded of our Lord's great exchange with us. He was made sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him, 2 Corinthians 5:21.
David's harp was now, for the most part, exchanged for the sword, and he became a popular hero. It was the refrain of the women's ode of victory that opened Saul's soul to the envenomed dart of jealousy. The milk of human kindness suddenly turned sour. "He eyed David from that day," not with affectionate admiration, but always with desire to place a malicious construction on every act and word and look. With terrible accuracy James shows the certain progress and development of such an attitude, James 1:14-15. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 18

1  Jonathan befriends David
5  Saul envies his praise
10  seeks to kill him in his fury
12  fears him for his good success
17  offers him his daughters for snare
23  David persuaded to be the king's son-in-law,
25  gives two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal's dowry
28  Saul's hatred and David's glory increase

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 18:8 mean?

And was angry Saul very and displeased him saying this and he said they have ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they have ascribed [only] thousands And [what] more can have he but the kingdom
וַיִּ֨חַר לְשָׁא֜וּל מְאֹ֗ד וַיֵּ֤רַע בְּעֵינָיו֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָתְנ֤וּ לְדָוִד֙ רְבָב֔וֹת וְלִ֥י נָתְנ֖וּ הָאֲלָפִ֑ים וְע֥וֹד ל֖וֹ אַ֥ךְ ؟ הַמְּלוּכָֽה

וַיִּ֨חַר  And  was  angry 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.
לְשָׁא֜וּל  Saul 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
מְאֹ֗ד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וַיֵּ֤רַע  and  displeased 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
הַדָּבָ֣ר  saying 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נָתְנ֤וּ  they  have  ascribed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְדָוִד֙  to  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
רְבָב֔וֹת  ten  thousands 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: רְבָבָה  
Sense: multitude, myriad, ten thousand.
וְלִ֥י  and  to  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, first person common singular
נָתְנ֖וּ  they  have  ascribed  [only] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הָאֲלָפִ֑ים  thousands 
Parse: Article, Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
וְע֥וֹד  And  [what]  more  can  have 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
؟ הַמְּלוּכָֽה  the  kingdom 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלוּכָה  
Sense: kingship, royalty, kingly office.