1 Samuel 27:1-6

David Returns to Achish

1 Then David {thought to himself}, "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me but [that] I must certainly escape to the land of [the] Philistines. Then Saul will desist from searching for me further in all of the territories of Israel, and so I will escape from his hand."
2 So David got up and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who [were] with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
3 David settled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his household. David [took along] his two wives Ahinoam {from Jezreel} and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
4 And it was reported to Saul that David had fled [to] Gath, so {he no longer searched for him}.
5 Then David said to Achish, "Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then let them give me a place in one of the {country towns} that I can live there. Why should your servant live in {the royal city} with you?"
6 So Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. (Therefore, Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this day.)

1 Samuel 27:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 27

David, fearing he should perish by the hand of Saul at one time or another, went into the land of the Philistines, which Saul hearing of, sought no more after him, 1Sa 27:1-4; and finding favour in the eyes of the king of Gath, desired a place in his country might be given him to reside in; and accordingly Ziklag was given him, 1Sa 27:5-7; from whence he made excursions into the land of the Amalekites, and others, and utterly destroyed them; but imposed on the king of Gath, pretending he had made his road into the southern parts of Judah, 1Sa 27:8-12.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Literally "said to his heart"
  • [b]. Or "family"
  • [c]. Literally "the Jezreelitess"
  • [d]. Literally "he does [Qere did] not again to seek him longer"
  • [e]. Literally "towns of the open field"
  • [f]. Literally "the city of the king"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.