1 Samuel 29:3

3 dixeruntque principes Philisthim quid sibi volunt Hebraei isti et ait Achis ad principes Philisthim num ignoratis David qui fuit servus Saul regis Israhel et est apud me multis diebus vel annis et non inveni in eo quicquam ex die qua transfugit ad me usque ad diem hanc

1 Samuel 29:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:3

Then said the princes of the Philistines
To Achish; not those of the court of Achish, who were his subjects, but the confederate princes with him in this war, the lords of the other principalities, as appears by the freedom they took with him, ( 1 Samuel 29:4 ) ;

what [do] these Hebrews [here]?
or Jews, as the Targum; what hast thou to do with them, or they to be with thee? men of another nation and religion, and known enemies to the Philistines:

and Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines;
in order to soften them, and reconcile them to these men, and their being with him:

[is] not this David the servant of Saul the king of Israel;
between whom there had been a quarrel, and the former had fled from the latter to him:

which hath been with me these days, or these years;
had been with him many days, and he might say years, as he had been with him one whole year, and part of another, see ( 1 Samuel 27:7 ) ; and he might have known him longer, if he was the same Achish David first fled to; Kimchi interprets it, that he knew him as well as if he had been with him as many years as days:

and I have found no fault in him since he fell [unto me] unto this day?
the affair of David's going against the Geshurites not being yet known by him, or, if it was, he approved of it, they being enemies of his; this shows that David behaved with a great deal of prudence to have such a character as this from a king of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 29:3 In-Context

1 congregata sunt ergo Philisthim universa agmina in Afec sed et Israhel castrametatus est super fontem qui erat in Iezrahel

2 et satrapae quidem Philisthim incedebant in centuriis et milibus David autem et viri eius erant in novissimo agmine cum Achis

3 dixeruntque principes Philisthim quid sibi volunt Hebraei isti et ait Achis ad principes Philisthim num ignoratis David qui fuit servus Saul regis Israhel et est apud me multis diebus vel annis et non inveni in eo quicquam ex die qua transfugit ad me usque ad diem hanc

4 irati sunt autem adversus eum principes Philisthim et dixerunt ei revertatur vir et sedeat in loco suo in quo constituisti eum et non descendat nobiscum in proelium ne fiat nobis adversarius cum proeliari coeperimus quomodo enim aliter placare poterit dominum suum nisi in capitibus nostris

5 nonne iste est David cui cantabant in choro dicentes percussit Saul in milibus suis et David in decem milibus suis