1 Samuel 18:6
(1 Samuel 18:6 ESV) As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.
https://www.esv.org/1+Samuel+18
Fresh off David's victory against Goliath, David and Jonathan click instantly and become loyal friends. Jonathan is King Saul's son and David is the future king, although no one knows that at the time of this story. David the shepherd boy, turned servant of Saul, becomes a national hero under the military service of Saul. Trusting in God, David was successful in battle wherever he fought.
The women of Israel loved David so much that they sang with JOY, tambourines, and other musical instruments exclaiming Saul's slain count as thousands and David's slain count as tens of thousands. That must have been a sight-to-see and loud. As expected, David's fame does not hit Saul's ears with JOY, but rather jealousy, leading eventually to a many-year battle between the two.
Our study focuses on the JOY of the women of all the cities of Isreal. The celebration of David's success was bursting with JOY. Having faced the terror of Goliath taunting the people for 40 days, the ladies were elated that the tides had changed to freedom and safety. What a relief that must have been that their men were returning home too! Surely they were dancing!
I hope that the ladies knew of God's deliverance, and gave credit to God for David's successes, but we only read that they had uncontained and spontaneous JOY for David. I would think that David himself was singing praises to God and that his faith was contagious to the women of Israel.
It is only week 2 of our Bible study on JOY and I already see a pattern where JOY is followed by STOOPID. The women do not worry about the future unknown (the long history-to-be of battles between David and Saul), but rather they focus on the moment in front of them. Jealousy sure can cause some STOOPID! Life is going to happen and what matters is faith in God that guides us through the JOY and the STOOPID.
Please pray with me. God, thanks for the reminder that life is going to happen, and we are not promised an easy life, and that what matters most is my faith in You. Thanks for Your gift of faith that sustains me through all the stoopid times in life. Thanks for the joy in the little victories and big victories in life, but most importantly the joy in the victory You won for us on the cross. Amen.
The King James Version of the concordance has 93 references in 89 verses to this certain word for "joy" as reference H8057. שִׂמְחָה is pronounced simchâh (sim-khaw) an relates to a religious or festival blithesomeness (cheerful disposition) or glee, which is fitting for this scene. H8057 is also translated in other Bible verses as exceeding(ly), gladness, joy(fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(ing).
November 12, 2025