1 Samuel 21:13

KJV

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

KJV (with Strong's)

And he changed {H8138} his behaviour {H2940} before {H5869} them, and feigned himself mad {H1984} in their hands {H3027}, and scrabbled {H8427} on the doors {H1817} of the gate {H8179}, and let his spittle {H7388} fall down {H3381} upon his beard {H2206}.

Complete Jewish Bible

So, as they were watching, he changed his behavior and acted like a madman when they had hold of him, scratching marks on the doors of the city gate and drooling down his beard.

Berean Standard Bible

So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.

American Standard Version

And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
1 Samuel 21:13 captures a profoundly desperate moment in David's life, as he flees from King Saul's relentless pursuit. Having sought refuge in the Philistine city of Gath, the hometown of Goliath, David is recognized by King Achish's servants. In a raw act of self-preservation, the future king of Israel feigns madness, displaying bizarre and repulsive behaviors—scribbling on the gate doors and allowing spittle to run down his beard—to avoid capture, imprisonment, or death at the hands of his enemies. This pivotal event underscores David's vulnerability and ingenuity, while also highlighting the extreme pressures he faced before ascending to the throne.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a dramatic narrative arc detailing David's flight from King Saul. Immediately preceding this event, David had a desperate encounter with Ahimelech the priest in Nob, where he deceitfully obtained the holy showbread and Goliath's sword, a highly symbolic weapon given its origin. This act of deception foreshadows David's subsequent feigned madness. David's journey to Gath, a Philistine stronghold and the very city of Goliath, represents a paradoxical and extremely risky move for the celebrated slayer of the Philistine giant. His recognition by Achish's servants in [1 Samuel 21:11](/1_samuel/21-11 "1 Samuel 21:11 - David Recognized in Gath") precipitates the desperate act described in verse 13, setting the stage for his subsequent escape and the formation of his band of followers in the cave of Adullam, as recounted in [1 Samuel 22:1-2](/1_samuel/22-1 "1 Samuel 22:1-2 - David at the Cave of Adullam"). The entire episode underscores the intense danger David faced and God's providential, though often unseen, hand in preserving him.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Gath was one of the five major Philistine city-states, a formidable enemy of Israel. For David, a celebrated warrior who had defeated their champion, Goliath, seeking refuge there was an act of extreme desperation. His recognition by King Achish's servants was not surprising, given his fame. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, madness was often viewed with a mixture of fear, reverence, and disgust. Mad individuals were sometimes considered touched by the gods or spirits, but more often, they were seen as harmless, pitiable, or unclean, and typically expelled from cities or left unmolested. David's specific actions—scribbling on doors and drooling—were universally understood signs of severe mental derangement, designed to elicit disgust and convince observers that he posed no threat and was not worth the effort of capture or execution. This cultural understanding made his bizarre performance a viable, albeit humiliating, survival strategy.
* **Key Themes:** The narrative of [1 Samuel 21:13](/1_samuel/21-13 "1 Samuel 21:13 - David Feigns Madness") contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the book of Samuel. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates the theme of **desperation and survival** under extreme duress. David, despite being God's anointed, is shown in a moment of profound human vulnerability and fear, resorting to a humiliating ruse to save his life. Secondly, it highlights the **complex nature of faith and human agency**. While David is a man of faith, his actions here are driven by fear and cunning, not explicit reliance on divine intervention. This tension is later reflected in psalms attributed to this period, such as [Psalm 34](/psalms/34 "Psalm 34 - Deliverance from Fear") and [Psalm 56](/psalms/56 "Psalm 56 - Trusting God in Distress"), which speak of seeking the Lord and being delivered from fears, suggesting a retrospective theological reflection on this very experience. Finally, the episode subtly reinforces the theme of **God's providential care**, even through imperfect human choices. Despite David's unheroic actions, God's ultimate purpose for him as king remains secure, demonstrating that divine plans can unfold even amidst human weakness and fear.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Feigned (Hebrew, _shaga'_):** This verb means "to be mad, to rave, to act crazily." It implies not merely a pretense but a convincing, wild, and uncontrolled display of mental derangement. David's performance was not subtle; it was an overt, exaggerated exhibition of insanity, designed to be unmistakable and repulsive. The intensity of the verb suggests a complete surrender to the role, demonstrating the depth of his desperation.
* **Scrabbled (Hebrew, _tavah'_):** Literally meaning "to make a mark or scratch," this word describes David's nonsensical scribbling on the gate doors. This act was a recognized symptom of madness in ancient cultures, signifying a loss of rational thought and control. The "doors of the gate" were a public and prominent location, making his performance visible to all who passed, further cementing the impression of his derangement.
* **Spittle (Hebrew, _roq'_):** The act of letting spittle fall upon one's beard was a universally understood and highly repulsive sign of extreme mental instability or severe illness in the ancient world. It indicated a complete lack of self-control and personal dignity, making the individual seem utterly harmless, unclean, and unworthy of serious attention or capture. This detail emphasizes the extent of David's humiliation and the effectiveness of his ruse.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he changed his behaviour before them":** This opening clause immediately sets the scene, indicating a deliberate and conscious decision by David to alter his demeanor. "Before them" highlights the public nature of his performance, specifically directed at the Philistine servants and King Achish who had recognized him. It marks the initiation of his desperate survival strategy.
* **"and feigned himself mad in their hands":** This phrase directly states David's core tactic: pretending to be insane. The phrase "in their hands" emphasizes his vulnerability and the immediate threat he faced from his captors. He was literally at their mercy, and his only recourse was to appear utterly harmless and undesirable.
* **"and scrabbled on the doors of the gate":** This describes one of the specific actions David employed to convey his madness. Scribbling aimlessly on the city gate, a place of public gathering and official business, was a visual manifestation of his supposed mental breakdown, signaling a complete loss of rational thought and social decorum.
* **"and let his spittle fall down upon his beard":** This final, vivid detail provides the most repulsive and convincing element of David's act. Allowing saliva to run freely onto his beard, a symbol of dignity and masculinity in ancient Israelite culture, was a profoundly humiliating and disgusting display. It served as an unmistakable sign of severe mental derangement, designed to repel his captors and ensure his release.

#### Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent **Literary Devices** to convey the intensity of David's predicament and his desperate response. **Irony** is prominent, as David, the celebrated hero who defeated Goliath and the anointed future king of Israel, is reduced to feigning madness in the very city of his greatest enemy. This stark contrast between his past glory and present humiliation underscores the precariousness of his situation. The vivid, almost grotesque, descriptions of his actions—**Imagery** such as "scrabbled on the doors of the gate" and "let his spittle fall down upon his beard"—serve to create a powerful and repulsive mental picture, effectively communicating the severity of his feigned derangement and the depth of his desperation. These actions also function as **Symbolism**, representing David's complete surrender of dignity for the sake of survival, a moment of profound vulnerability that contrasts sharply with his usual portrayal as a courageous warrior and man of faith. The entire episode serves as a form of **Characterization**, revealing David's resourcefulness and his raw human fear, reminding the reader that even heroes of faith are subject to intense pressure and imperfect responses.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This episode in David's life offers profound theological insights into the nature of human weakness, divine providence, and the often-unconventional path of God's chosen. It reminds us that even those divinely appointed for great purposes are not exempt from fear, desperation, or resorting to morally ambiguous means for survival. David's feigned madness highlights the tension between trusting God and employing human cunning. While his actions were not a direct demonstration of faith, the larger narrative arc of 1 Samuel consistently shows God's unseen hand preserving David through every trial, ensuring his survival and ultimate ascent to the throne. This passage thus becomes a testament to God's faithfulness to His promises, working through and even despite the imperfections of His servants, to accomplish His sovereign will. It underscores that God's plan for His people is often realized not through flawless human performance, but through His steadfast grace and protection in the midst of human frailty.

* [Psalm 34:4](/psalms/34-4 "Psalm 34:4 - David's Deliverance from Fear")
* [Psalm 56:1-4](/psalms/56-1 "Psalm 56:1-4 - David's Trust in God Amidst Danger")
* [Proverbs 21:30](/proverbs/21-30 "Proverbs 21:30 - No Wisdom Against the Lord")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The story of David feigning madness in Gath serves as a powerful, if uncomfortable, mirror to our own human experience. It reminds us that even the most celebrated figures of faith are not immune to profound fear, vulnerability, and the temptation to resort to desperate, even undignified, measures for self-preservation. In moments of extreme pressure, when our lives or livelihoods seem threatened, our natural instinct for survival can override our spiritual ideals. This passage challenges us to consider where our ultimate trust lies when faced with overwhelming circumstances. While David's actions were born of fear, God's providential hand was still evident, preserving him for his divine destiny. This offers immense comfort: God works through imperfect people and circumstances, and His overarching plan can prevail even in our moments of fear, flawed choices, and perceived humiliation. It is a call to cultivate deeper trust in God's sovereignty, even when our circumstances demand a "mad" kind of faith, where we surrender control and rely on His unseen hand.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does David's desperate act reveal about the human condition, even for a "man after God's own heart"?**
* **How do we balance the natural instinct for self-preservation with the call to trust God completely in moments of fear?**
* **Can God's purposes still be accomplished through our imperfect choices and moments of weakness? How does this passage illustrate that?**
* **What "Gaths" or desperate situations do I face where I am tempted to rely on my own cunning rather than God's deliverance?**

### FAQ
**Was David's action morally justifiable?**

Answer: From a purely ethical standpoint, David's act of feigning madness involved deception, which is generally not condoned in biblical ethics. However, the Bible often presents events descriptively rather than prescriptively, showing what happened rather than explicitly endorsing it as a model for behavior. David was in an extreme life-or-death situation, fleeing from a king who sought to kill him, and his actions were a desperate measure for survival. While not an exemplary act of faith, it demonstrates human ingenuity and the raw instinct for self-preservation. The narrative does not condemn David for this act, nor does it explicitly praise it. Instead, it highlights God's continued preservation of David despite his human weaknesses and imperfect choices, reinforcing the theme of divine providence overriding human fallibility. This event is often contrasted with David's later expressions of trust in God, such as those found in [Psalm 34](/psalms/34 "Psalm 34 - David's Deliverance") and [Psalm 56](/psalms/56 "Psalm 56 - A Michtam of David"), which are believed to have been written during or immediately after this harrowing experience, suggesting a retrospective reliance on God's deliverance.

**How does this event relate to the Psalms attributed to David from this period?**

Answer: Many scholars believe that [Psalm 34](/psalms/34 "Psalm 34 - I Sought the Lord, and He Heard Me") and [Psalm 56](/pslams/56 "Psalm 56 - In God I Trust") were composed by David either during or immediately after his experience in Gath. The superscription of Psalm 34 explicitly states, "A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed." (Note: "Abimelech" is likely a royal title for the Philistine king, Achish, in this context). The psalm speaks of seeking the Lord and being delivered from all fears ([Psalm 34:4](/psalms/34-4 "Psalm 34:4 - I sought the Lord, and he answered me")), and of the angel of the Lord encamping around those who fear Him ([Psalm 34:7](/psalms/34-7 "Psalm 34:7 - The Angel of the Lord Encamps")). Similarly, Psalm 56, with the superscription "A Michtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath," expresses profound trust in God despite being surrounded by enemies ([Psalm 56:3-4](/psalms/56-3 "Psalm 56:3-4 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you")). These psalms offer a powerful theological reflection on the Gath incident, transforming a moment of human fear and cunning into a testimony of God's faithfulness and David's ultimate reliance on divine deliverance, even if that reliance was not perfectly evident in the moment itself.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The desperate scene of David feigning madness in Gath, a moment of profound humiliation and vulnerability for the anointed king, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. David, though chosen by God, was a flawed king, often resorting to human means for survival. His moment of abasement foreshadows the far greater humiliation and self-emptying of the true King, Jesus, who did not merely feign weakness but truly became weak for our sake. The Son of God, who was "in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" ([Philippians 2:6-7](/philippians/2-6 "Philippians 2:6-7 - Christ's Humiliation")). Jesus willingly embraced vulnerability, not to escape death, but to conquer it. He allowed Himself to be seized by His enemies, enduring far greater indignity and suffering than David ever did, including false accusations, mockery, and the ultimate humiliation of the cross ([Matthew 27:27-31](/matthew/27-27 "Matthew 27:27-31 - The Soldiers Mock Jesus")). Unlike David, who sought to preserve his earthly life through deception, Christ laid down His life in perfect obedience and truth, becoming the ultimate sacrifice for sin ([John 10:17-18](/john/10-17 "John 10:17-18 - Jesus Lays Down His Life")). David’s escape from Gath was a temporary reprieve, but Christ’s death and resurrection secured eternal deliverance for all who believe, demonstrating that true victory comes not through human cunning, but through divine self-sacrifice and perfect trust in the Father's will ([Hebrews 5:8-9](/hebrews/5-8 "Hebrews 5:8-9 - Christ Learned Obedience Through Suffering")). Thus, David's desperate act, while a testament to human survival, ultimately points to the perfect, redemptive humility and triumph of the Lamb of God.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Proverbs 29:25

¶ The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Ecclesiastes 7:7

¶ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

Psalms 34:1

¶ [A Psalm] of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth.

Psalms 34:22

The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.