1 Samuel 29:7

7 Therefore, now, go on back; and go in peace, so as not to do what appears bad to the chiefs of the P'lishtim.

1 Samuel 29:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:7

Wherefore now return
To Ziklag:

and go in peace;
not only in a peaceable manner, easy and satisfied, as David was at his very heart to hear this, but all prosperity and happiness attend thee; the Jews ^F14 distinguish between wishing persons to go in peace, and to go to peace; the former they observe has not issued happily, when the other has, and they instance in the wish of Jethro to Moses, and of David to Absalom;

that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines:
and what would be the consequence of that he could not say, but suggests it would be most for his peace and safety to depart.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 64. 1. Sepher Alphes, par. 1. fol. 421. 2.

1 Samuel 29:7 In-Context

5 This is David! They used to dance and sing about him, 'Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands'!"

6 So Akhish summoned David and said to him, "As ADONAI lives, you have been upright; and I myself would be more than pleased to have you go on campaign with me; because I haven't found anything wrong with you between the day you arrived and now. However, the chiefs don't trust you.

7 Therefore, now, go on back; and go in peace, so as not to do what appears bad to the chiefs of the P'lishtim.

8 David said to Akhish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant during the time I've been with you that disqualifies me from going and fighting against the enemies of my lord the king?"

9 Akhish answered David, "I know that you are as good, from my point of view, as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the chiefs of the P'lishtim have said, 'He is not to go up with us to the battlefield.'