1 Samuel 29:1

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, and the Israelites pitched camp by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

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, and the Israelites pitched camp by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.

3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, "What do these Hebrews here?" And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, "Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me to this day?"

4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, "Make this fellow return, that he may go back to his place which thou hast appointed for him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us. For wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? 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, `Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"