1 Samuel 29:4

4 irati sunt autem adversus eum principes Philisthim et dixerunt ei revertatur vir et sedeat in loco suo in quo constituisti eum et non descendat nobiscum in proelium ne fiat nobis adversarius cum proeliari coeperimus quomodo enim aliter placare poterit dominum suum nisi in capitibus nostris

1 Samuel 29:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:4

And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him
With Achish, for giving such a character of David, and taking his part, in order to detain him, if possible:

and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, make this fellow
return;
they speak of him with contempt, and insist on it that Achish order him to turn back, and go no further with them:

that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him;
to Ziklag, the place that Achish had given him for his residence, ( 1 Samuel 27:6 ) ; they did not desire to have him sent to his own country, and to Saul, since should a reconciliation be made between them, he would be of great service to Saul against them:

and let him not go down with us to battle;
into the valley of Jezreel, where the Israelites had pitched:

lest in the battle he be an adversary to us:
and fall upon them behind, being in the rear, while they were engaging in the front with Israel:

for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master?
to Saul he had offended, and fled from:

[should it] not [be] with the heads of these men?
the Philistines; or unless by the heads of these men F13; he had no other way of making his peace with his master but by cutting off the heads of the Philistines; and therefore he was a dangerous man to take with them into the battle.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (yvarb alh) "nisi per capita", Noldius, p. 257. No. 1147.

1 Samuel 29:4 In-Context

2 et satrapae quidem Philisthim incedebant in centuriis et milibus David autem et viri eius erant in novissimo agmine cum Achis
3 dixeruntque principes Philisthim quid sibi volunt Hebraei isti et ait Achis ad principes Philisthim num ignoratis David qui fuit servus Saul regis Israhel et est apud me multis diebus vel annis et non inveni in eo quicquam ex die qua transfugit ad me usque ad diem hanc
4 irati sunt autem adversus eum principes Philisthim et dixerunt ei revertatur vir et sedeat in loco suo in quo constituisti eum et non descendat nobiscum in proelium ne fiat nobis adversarius cum proeliari coeperimus quomodo enim aliter placare poterit dominum suum nisi in capitibus nostris
5 nonne iste est David cui cantabant in choro dicentes percussit Saul in milibus suis et David in decem milibus suis
6 vocavit ergo Achis David et ait ei vivit Dominus quia rectus es tu et bonus in conspectu meo et exitus tuus et introitus tuus mecum est in castris et non inveni in te quicquam mali ex die qua venisti ad me usque ad diem hanc sed satrapis non places
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.