1 Samuel 29:2

2 The lords of the Pelishtim passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Akhish.

1 Samuel 29:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:2

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by
thousands
Not that there were so many lords, for there were but five of them; but these marched, some at the head of hundreds with them, and others at the head of thousands:

but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish;
who being the generalissimo brought up the rear, and David, whom he had appointed captain of his bodyguards, attended him with his men, which in point of gratitude he could not refuse; and yet was in the greatest strait and difficulty how to act, it being both against his conscience and his interest to fight against Israel, and was waiting and hoping for some appearance of Providence to deliver him out of this dilemma, and which was quickly seen; but Abarbinel thinks David had no other notion in going to the battle, but of being the bodyguard of Achish, and accompanying him, and that he should not fight against Israel, nor for the Philistines: neither harm the one, nor help the other.

1 Samuel 29:2 In-Context

1 Now the Pelishtim gathered together all their hosts to Afek: and the Yisra'elites encamped by the spring which is in Yizre`el.

2 The lords of the Pelishtim passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Akhish.

3 Then said the princes of the Pelishtim, What [do] these Hebrews [here]? Akhish said to the princes of the Pelishtim, Isn't this David, the servant of Sha'ul the king of Yisra'el, who has been with me these days, or [rather] these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away [to me] to this day?

4 But he princes of the Pelishtim were angry with him; and the princes of the Pelishtim said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for with what should this [fellow] reconcile himself to his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?

5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Sha'ul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?