1a – If Saul hates David and fears him, then why does he want his daughter, Merab, to marry him? (v 17)

1b – In verse 18, why does David turn down an offer to marry the king's daughter?

2 – In verse 21, why might Michal be, "a snare," for David? See 1 Sam 19:13.

3 – In verse 25, whose idea was it to take the Philistine's foreskins? What reason is given? Why this particular trophy? Why might it be difficult to obtain them? Why would the Philistines consider this horrific? How might the offended and horrified Philistines respond?

Why would David agree to this action? How did he respond? (verse 27) Why double the amount?

4 – In verse 28, Saul has been afraid of David because the Lord was with David and had departed from Saul. Verse 28 tells us for the first time that now he "knows" it. Why is this significant? How?

5 – The context of this passage has to do with Saul's envy of David. Why is envy such a dangerous and pervasive sin? How can we recognize it, confess it, and repent of it?

- Consider John the Baptist and his disciples in John 3:22-30. How is this example opposite from Saul's envy? What can we apply to ourselves?