And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath smitten his thousands, And David his ten thousands.

And the women sang one to another in their play, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

and the women answer, those playing, and say, 'Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.'

And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.

And the women sang, as they played, saying, "Saul has struck down a thousand, and David ten thousand."

As they played - Or danced with vocal and instrumental music (see Judges 16:25 note).

Saul hath slain his thousands - As it cannot literally be true that Saul had slain thousands, and David ten thousands; it would be well to translate the passage thus: Saul hath smitten or fought against thousands; David against tens of thousands. "Though Saul has been victorious in all his battles; yet he has not had such great odds against him as David has had; Saul, indeed, has been opposed by thousands; David, by ten thousands." We may here remark that the Philistines had drawn out their whole forces at this time: and when Goliath was slain, they were totally discomfited by the Israelites, led on chiefly by David.

And the women answered one another as they played,.... They sung vocally to their instruments, and that by turns, one rehearsing one line or verse in the song, and then the other another:
and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands; which, if to be referred to the battle in the preceding chapter, as it commonly is, must be understood thus, that though Saul, in pursuit of the Philistines, slew many thousands of them, and David but one, even Goliath; yet the slaying of him was the occasion of slaying ten thousands, and therefore it is ascribed to him: but it seems rather that in some after battles David had been more prosperous and victorious than Saul, and therefore superior commendations are given him by the author of the song the women sung; which, however just it might be to give them, was not wise, since it served to irritate their king, as follows.