1 Samuel 21:10

David at Gath

10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:10 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
English Standard Version (ESV)
10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath.
New Living Translation (NLT)
10 So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath.
The Message Bible (MSG)
10 "Oh," said David, "there's no sword like that! Give it to me!"
American Standard Version (ASV)
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
10 That day David left. He was [still] fleeing from Saul when he came to King Achish of Gath.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
10 David fled that day from Saul's presence and went to King Achish of Gath.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
10 That day David ran away from Saul. He went to Achish, the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 21:10

And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul
He had fled before for fear of him both from his own house, and from Naioth, ( 1 Samuel 19:18 ) ( 20:1 ) ; but now he fled out of the land of Israel, for fear of him; or it may be the reason of his fear and flight on this day was because of Doeg the Edomite, lest he should go directly to Saul, and tell him where he was; and therefore through fear of him would not stay any longer, but the same day he came, he fled:

and went to Achish the king of Gath;
Gath, according to Bunting F16, was twenty four miles from Nob. Achish, the king of it, is called Abimelech in the title of the thirty fourth psalm, see ( Psalms 34:1 ) , that name being common to the kings of the Philistines, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt. It may seem strange that David should go into an enemy's country, and especially to the country of the Philistines, by whom he was mortally hated for the victories he had obtained over them, and the numbers of them he had slain; and particularly that he should go to Gath, the place of Goliath, their champion, whom he had slain, and whose sword he now had with him: but this is to be said for him, that such was the fury of Saul against him, and his resolution to slay him, that he was as safe in an enemy's country as in the land of Israel; and that if he must die, he might as well die in one place as another; and that he went particularly here, the reason might be, because all other lands were at peace with Saul, and so would have delivered him up to him, had he went elsewhere; but this people were at war with him, and he might hope not to be known by them; and if he was, that they might think it their interest, to detain such a person that was so serviceable to Saul, and so harmful to them; and being Saul's enemy, they might hope to engage him on their side against him; and besides, he might know that Achish was well disposed towards him, as he seems to be, and might like him never the worse for cutting off Goliath's head, who might not be heartily in the interest of Achish. After all, as impolitic as this step of David's may seems to be, it is what great men have taken in their distress, to go over to their enemies, as Themistocles to the Molossians, and Alcibiades to the Lacedemonians.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Travels p. 136.

1 Samuel 21:10 In-Context

8 David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 1 Samuel 25:13; 1 Samuel 27:2
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