1 Samuel 29:3-4

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, ¹who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and ²I 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 ³to his place where * you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, ⁴or 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?

1 Samuel 29:3-4 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 29

This chapter gives an account of David's going forth with the armies of the Philistines, 1Sa 29:1,2; of his being objected to by the princes of the Philistines, who insisted upon his being sent back, 1Sa 29:3-5; of the report Achish made of it to David, and the discourse that passed between them upon it, 1Sa 29:6-10; whereby David had a way unexpectedly opened for him to be freed from this service, which he gladly embraced, 1Sa 29:11.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 27:7
• 2. 1 Samuel 27:1-6; 1 Chronicles 12:19, 20; Daniel 6:5
• 3. 1 Samuel 27:6
• 4. 1 Samuel 14:21

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "fell"
• [b]. Lit "those"