1 Samuel27
New King James Version
1And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”
2Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.
4And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.
5Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
6So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
7Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.
8And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.
9Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.
10Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.”
11David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
12So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Samuel 27.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: David retires to Gath. (1–7). David deceives Achish. (8–12).
vv1-7
Unbelief is a sin that easily besets even good men, when without are fightings, and within are fears; and it is a hard matter to get over them. Lord, increase our faith! We may blush to think that the word of a Philistine should go further than the word of an Israelite, and that the city of Gath should be a place of refuge for a good man, when the cities of Israel refuse him a safe abode. David gained a comfortable settlement, not only at a distance from Gath, but bordering upon Israel, where he might keep up a correspondence with his own countrymen.
vv8-12
While David was in the land of the Philistines, he attacked some remains of the devoted nations. The people whom he cut off were long before doomed to destruction. It is often wisdom to shun public notice, but we must in no situation be idle. We must always try to do somewhat in the cause of God. This expedition David hid from Achish. But an equivocation which serves the purpose of a lie, is as like to it as a hypocrite is to a profane person, it is only better in appearance, therefore more dangerous. Yet, though believers often manifest imperfections, they can never be prevailed upon to renounce the service of God, and to unite interests with his enemies, or finally to become the servants of sin and Satan. But what a train of evils follow from unbelief! When we forget the Lord's past mercies, and his gracious assurances, we shall be overwhelmed with desponding fears, and probably be led to adopt some dishonourable method to get rid of our troubles. Nothing can so effectually establish us in holy tempers and practices, and preserve us from perplexities, as firm, unshaken dependence upon the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
Key Words
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
לֵב: the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
עַתָּה: at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletive
סָפָה: properly, to scrape (literally, to shave; but usually figuratively) together (i.e. to accumulate or increase) or away (i.e. to scatter, remove, or ruin; intransitively, to perish)
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
יָד: a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
שָׁאוּל: Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites
אַיִן: a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle
Cross References
1 Samuel 27David leaves the land where the prophet Gad specifically commanded him to remain.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
David voluntarily flees to an idolatrous land, having just cursed those who drove him out.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
David returns to Achish of Gath, where he had previously feigned madness to escape.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Ziklag was originally allotted to Judah, but remained in Philistine hands until given to David.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
David attacks the Amalekites, whom Saul had failed to completely destroy as commanded.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Ziklag was assigned to Simeon within Judah's territory, but remained occupied by Philistines.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Ziklag is later burned by the Amalekites while David is away with the Philistines.
The Geshurites were ancient inhabitants of the land not previously expelled by Joshua.
Supported by JFB
David claims to attack the Kenites, Moses' in-laws, who had historically shown kindness to Israel.
Supported by JFB
David claims to attack the Jerahmeelites, to whom he later sends some of the spoil.
Saul ceases searching for David, demonstrating his previous remorse was temporary.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Philistine lords question David's presence based on the duration of his stay.
Achish trusts David completely, setting up the crisis where David must fight Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
David's men and their households who dwelt in Gath later settle in Hebron.