1 Samuel 29:9

9 And Achish answered, and spake to David, (and said,) I know that thou art good, and (be) as the angel of God in my eyes; but the princes of Philistines said, He shall not go up with us into battle.

1 Samuel 29:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:9

And Achish answered and said unto David
In reply to the questions:

I know that thou [art] good in my sight as an angel of God:
for his great wisdom, and graceful behaviour, and inoffensive carriage:

notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, he shall not
go up with us to the battle;
though Achish had so good an opinion of him, and had declared it in council, yet an order had passed there that he should not go to battle with them; there were but five of them, and Achish was one of the five, so that there were four to one for the dismissing him; and Achish, though a king, was obliged to submit.

1 Samuel 29:9 In-Context

7 Therefore turn thou again, and go in peace (And so return thou, and go home in peace), and offend thou not the eyes of the princes, or satraps, of the Philistines.

8 And David said to Achish, And what have I done, and what hast thou found in me thy servant, from the day in which I was (first) in thy sight till into this day, that I come not, and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9 And Achish answered, and spake to David, (and said,) I know that thou art good, and (be) as the angel of God in my eyes; but the princes of Philistines said, He shall not go up with us into battle.

10 Therefore rise thou up early, thou, and thy servants that came with thee; and when ye have risen by night, and it beginneth to be clear day, go ye forth. (And so rise thou up early, thou, and thy servants who came with thee; and when ye have risen in the night, and it beginneth to be clear daylight, then go ye forth.)

11 Therefore David rose up by night, he and his men, that they should go forth early, and turn again to the land of Philistines; but the Philistines went up into Jezreel. (And so David and his men rose up in the night, so that they could go forth early, and return to the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went on to Jezreel.)