1 Samuel 18:26

1Sa 18:26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.

Ver. 26. It pleased David well.] Saul’s envy serveth but to enhance David’s zeal, and valour, and glory. Difficulty doth but whet on heroic spirits. When Alexander understood of any desperate adventure, he would rejoice and say, Iam periculum par animo Alexandri. Oh, this is brave! Conditionem implevit David, idque mature et ample.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 18:26-27. The days were not expired — That is, the time allowed by Saul to David for the execution of this exploit. Two hundred — He doubled the number required; to oblige Saul the more to the performance of his promise, and to show his great respect and affection to Saul’s daughter.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Because he thought himself able to compass the King’s request.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the days were not expired--The period within which this exploit was to be achieved was not exhausted.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(26) It pleased David well.—The king’s design succeeded well, and the prospect of the alliance with Saul spurred on this brave soldier to more daring achievements, and yet wilder feats of arms. The savage, half-barbarous state of the age, however, comes prominently into view when we reflect upon the ferocious cruelty of such an offer being made and accepted, and carried out with even more than the required number of victims.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. the days were not expired] Apparently referring to some time which had been fixed for David to accept or decline the king’s offer. The Sept. (B) omits the words.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David,.... This he perceived by the favour he gave him among men, by overruling all the steps Saul took to do him hurt, for his good, and in giving him success in all that he engaged in; the Targum is,"that the Word of the Lord was for the help of David:"

and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him; and therefore could entertain no hope of making use of her as an instrument of his ruin, but, on the contrary, would, out of her great affection to her husband, betray the designs of her father against him, and do all she could to preserve him.

Next: 1 Samuel Chapter 19

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The days were not expired - David was so rapid in his attack upon the Philistines that he was able to bring the required dowry within the time, and to receive his wife (Michal), before the time had expired within which he was to receive Merab.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

It pleased David; as for other reasons, so especially because this opened the door to the kingdom which God had promised him. The days, i.e. the time allowed by Saul to David for the execution of this exploit.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. The days were not expired — The days required by custom or designated by the king (1Sa_18:21) for the consummation of the marriage.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 26, 27. It pleased David well to he the king"s son-in-law. Besides the great honour, David, not suspecting any malicious purpose on Saul"s part, may have hoped that this relationship would put an end to the miserable state of things which existed between him and Saul. He harboured no treasonable purposes, and would have gladly served Saul faithfully if he had been permitted. The nature also of the dowry fell in with his adventurous and war-loving disposition. The days were not expired. Wherefore, etc. A difficulty arises here from the wrong division of the verses, and from our translators having rendered the clauses as if they were independent of each other. The Hebrew is, "And the days were not full, and David arose, etc. The dowry was to be given within a fixed time, and before it had expired David, who had been forming his plans, set out with his men and made an incursion into the Philistine territory, whence he brought back to the king twice as many foreskins as had been stipulated; and thereupon Michal became David"s wife.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The days - That is, the time allowed by Saul to David for the execution of this exploit.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Time had not yet expired. He did not wait until the time expired which he had set for him to bring the one hundred foreskins.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.