1 Samuel 27 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

1 Samuel 27

David Flees to the Philistines

27:1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4 And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.

5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. 10 When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”

Commentary

v1: David clearly did not believe Saul. He doubted Saul's words, and feared that he would soon be pursuing him again. But David did not pray, he returned to his introspection, as in 21.10-15. David believed the safest place for him would be in Philistia; where he had previously feigned madness (21.10-15). In contrast, David was accepted this time.

v2-4: For 16 months, David sat in the seat of the scornful, but Saul stopped chasing him.

v5-7: David and his men lived in Ziklag, a town belonging to Simeon. Such are the kisses of the enemy (Prov 27.6), giving something that was stolen. Initially David enjoyed prosperity, but he soon lost it, see 30.1-5. The way of the world may appear attractive, but its end is disaster.

v8-12: David's deceit, to keep in with Achish. He became unusually ruthless to cover his deception. He declared that his attacks were within Israel. Achish was taken in, and invited David to join his army (see 28.1-2); beware of the approval of the world (Luke 6.26).