1 Samuel 29:1

David Leaves the Service of Achish

1 Now [the] Philistines assembled all their forces at Aphek, and Israel [was] encamped at the spring that [is] in Jezreel.

1 Samuel 29:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:1

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to
Aphek
Not the city in the tribe of Judah of that name, ( Joshua 15:53 ) ; where the Philistines had a camp in the time of Samuel, ( 1 Samuel 4:1 ) ; but rather that in the tribe of Asher, ( Joshua 19:30 ) ; unless there was one of this name in the tribe of Issachar, not mentioned, since it seems to have been near Jezreel and Shunem, which were both in that tribe, ( Joshua 19:18 ) ;

and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel;
in the valley of Jezreel; of which (See Gill on Joshua 19:18) and (See Gill on Hosea 1:5).

1 Samuel 29:1 In-Context

1 Now [the] Philistines assembled all their forces at Aphek, and Israel [was] encamped at the spring that [is] in Jezreel.

2 The rulers of [the] Philistines [were] passing on according to hundreds and thousands, David and his men passing on at the rear with Achish.

3 Then the commanders of [the] Philistines said, "What [are] these Hebrews [doing here]?" And Achish said to the commanders of [the] Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me {for days and years}? I have not found anything [threatening] in him from the day of his desertion until this day!"

4 But the commanders of [the] Philistines were angry with him and they said to him, "Send the man back so that he might return to his place where you have assigned him! But he will not go down with us into the battle, so that he does not become an adversary to us in the battle. By what could this fellow make himself favorable to his lord? Is it not with the heads of these men?

5 [Is] this not David about whom they sing in the dances, saying, 'Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands'?"