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1 Samuel 27

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David Seeks Refuge in Philistia 1–4

1
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. ​
2
And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ​
3
And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
4
And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. ​

Achish Grants David Ziklag 5–7

5
And David said unto Achish, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
6
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. ​
7
And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. ​

Deceptive Raids Against Israel's Enemies 8–12

8
And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. ​
9
And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel; and he returned, and came to Achish.
10
And Achish said, Against whom have ye made a raid to-day? And David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites. ​
11
And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines. ​
12
And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 27

Verse 1

I shall now perish one day — David speaks 'in his heart' (lev), and the verse records no inquiry of the LORD. The prophet Gad had told him to 'get thee into the land of Judah' (1 Sam 22:5), and the plan now is to leave it. Saul had just said, 'return, my son David' (1 Sam 26:21). 'Despair' is ya'ash, to give up hope.

Verse 2

six hundred men — The company that was 'about six hundred' at Keilah (1 Sam 23:13) crosses the border ('abar, to cross over) to Achish, king of Gath. Gath was Goliath's city (1 Sam 17:4), and David had come to this same Achish once before (1 Sam 21:10).

Verse 4

he sought no more again for him — This is what David predicted in v.1, that Saul would 'despair of me, to seek me any more'. 'Seek' is baqash, the verb of 'Saul sought him every day' (1 Sam 23:14). 'Told' is nagad, a report, and the same verb returns in v.11, where a report to Gath is what David means to prevent.

Verse 6

Ziklag — A southern town named among the cities of Judah (Josh 15:31) and again in Simeon's list (Josh 19:5), whose inheritance lay 'within the inheritance of the children of Judah' (Josh 19:1). Achish's gift made it David's, and it passed to the crown: it 'pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day'. Men came to David there (1 Chr 12:1).

Verse 7

a full year and four months — The Hebrew for 'a full year' is yamim, 'days', the phrase used in Lev 25:29, 'within a full year may he redeem it'. This is the whole time David lived 'in the country' (literally sadeh, the field) of the Philistines, which Achish later calls 'these days, or these years' (1 Sam 29:3).

Verse 8

the Amalekites — The LORD had said he would 'utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek' (Ex 17:14), and Saul was told to 'utterly destroy all that they have' (1 Sam 15:3). 'Invaded' is pashat, to spread out over, the word for a raid. The name Gezrites occurs only here, and 'as thou goest to Shur' is the same boundary as in 1 Sam 15:7.

Verse 10

Whither have ye made a road to day? — 'Made a road' is pashat, the verb of 'invaded' in v.8, so Achish asks where the raid went. David names the south (negeb) of Judah, of the Jerahmeelites and of the Kenites. The Jerahmeelites came from Hezron of Judah (1 Chr 2:9, 25), and the Kenites 'dwelt among the people' of Judah (Judg 1:16). David later sent gifts to both (1 Sam 30:29).

Verse 11

neither man nor woman alive — The verse gives David's reason: 'Lest they should tell on us'. 'Tell' is nagad, the verb of v.4, where a report to Saul ended his search; here a report to Gath would end David's shelter. 'Manner' is mishpat, his custom, what he does as a rule. The wording 'man nor woman' recalls the order against Amalek (1 Sam 15:3).

Verse 12

utterly to abhor him — Literally 'made himself stink' (ba'ash), the verb of Gen 34:30, 'to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land', and of 1 Sam 13:4, Israel 'had in abomination with the Philistines'. 'Believed' is 'aman, the root of 'Amen'. Achish rests on David's answer in v.10 and calls him 'my servant for ever'.