1 Samuel 29:1

The Philistines Mistrust David

1 Now ¹the Philistines gathered together all their armies to ²Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in ³Jezreel.

1 Samuel 29:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:1

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to
Aphek
Not the city in the tribe of Judah of that name, ( Joshua 15:53 ) ; where the Philistines had a camp in the time of Samuel, ( 1 Samuel 4:1 ) ; but rather that in the tribe of Asher, ( Joshua 19:30 ) ; unless there was one of this name in the tribe of Issachar, not mentioned, since it seems to have been near Jezreel and Shunem, which were both in that tribe, ( Joshua 19:18 ) ;

and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel;
in the valley of Jezreel; of which (See Gill on Joshua 19:18) and (See Gill on Hosea 1:5).

1 Samuel 29:1 In-Context

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel.

2 And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish.

3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?"

4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord ? Would it not be with the heads of these men?

5 "Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands '?"

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 28:1
• 2. Joshua 12:18; Joshua 19:30; 1 Samuel 4:1; 1 Kings 20:30
• 3. 1 Kings 21:1; 2 Kings 9:30