1 Samuel 21:10-15

David pretends to be crazy

10 So David got up and continued running from Saul. He went to Achish, Gath's king.

11 Achish's servants said to him, "Isn't that David, king of the land? He's the one people sing about in their dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his tens of thousands!'"

12 David took these words very seriously and became very frightened of Achish, Gath's king.

13 So he changed the way he acted with them, pretending to be insane while he was with them. He scratched marks on the doors of the city gates and let spit run down his chin.

14 "Can't you see he's crazy?" Achish asked his servants. "Why bring him to me?

15 Am I short on insane people that you've brought this person to go crazy right in front of me? Do you really think I'm going to let this man enter my house?"

1 Samuel 21:10-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 21

This chapter relates that David went to Nob, and pretending he was on secret business for the king, got shewbread, and the sword of Goliath, from Ahimelech the priest, 1Sa 21:1-9; and that passing from thence to Gath, where he was known, through fear feigned himself mad, and so escaped from thence, 1Sa 21:10-15.

Footnotes

• [a] Or in their hand; Heb uncertain
• [b] Or with correction he spit on the doors of the city gate or he fell down at the doors of the city gate (cf LXX).