1 Samuel 27

1 And David said in his heart, Sometime I shall fall in one day in the hand of Saul (One day I shall fall by Saul's hand); whether it is not better, that I flee, and be saved in the land of (the) Philistines, (so) that Saul despair, and cease to seek me in all the ends of Israel; therefore flee we his hands.

2 And (so) David rose up, and went forth, he and six hundred men with him, to Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 And David dwelled with Achish in Gath, he, and his men, and his house(hold) (And David lived with Achish in Gath, he, and his men, and his family); that is, David, and his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

4 And it was told to Saul, that David (had) fled into Gath; and he added no more that he should seek (after) David [and he added no more for to seek him].

5 Forsooth David said to Achish, If I have found grace in thine eyes, (let) a place be given to me in one of the cities of this country, that I dwell there; for why dwelleth thy servant in the city of the king with thee? (for why should thy servant remain with thee in the king's city?)

6 Therefore Achish gave him Ziklag in that day (And so Achish gave him Ziklag that day), for the which cause Ziklag was made into (a) possession of the kings of Judah unto this day.

7 And the number of days, in which David dwelled in the country of (the) Philistines, was days, that is a year, and four months.

8 And David went up, and his men, and they took preys of Geshurites, and of Gezrites, and of men of Amalek; for these towns were inhabited by (them in) eld time(s) in the land, to men going to Shur, unto the land of Egypt. (And David and his men went up, and they took prey from the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites; for these people inhabited the land in old times, unto Shur, and the land of Egypt.)

9 And David smote all the land of them, and he left not man nor woman living (and he left no man or woman alive); and he took sheep, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and clothes, and turned again, and came to Achish.

10 And Achish said to him, Into whom hurled ye today?/Against whom have ye hurled today? And David answered, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of Jerahmeel, and against the south of Kenites. (And Achish would say to him, Where did ye attack today? And David would answer, In the south of Judah, or, In the south of Jerahmeel, or, To the south of the Kenites.)

11 David left not quick man and woman (David left no man or woman alive), neither brought (them back) into Gath, and said, Lest peradventure they speak against us. David did these things, and this was his doom, in all [the] days in which he dwelled in the country of (the) Philistines.

12 Therefore Achish believed to David (And so Achish trusted David), and said, Certainly he hath wrought many evils against his people Israel, therefore he shall be a servant to me for evermore.

1 Samuel 27 Commentary

Chapter 27

David retires to Gath. (1-7) David deceives Achish. (8-12)

Verses 1-7 Unbelief is a sin that easily besets even good men, when without are fightings, and within are fears; and it is a hard matter to get over them. Lord, increase our faith! We may blush to think that the word of a Philistine should go further than the word of an Israelite, and that the city of Gath should be a place of refuge for a good man, when the cities of Israel refuse him a safe abode. David gained a comfortable settlement, not only at a distance from Gath, but bordering upon Israel, where he might keep up a correspondence with his own countrymen.

Verses 8-12 While David was in the land of the Philistines, he attacked some remains of the devoted nations. The people whom he cut off were long before doomed to destruction. It is often wisdom to shun public notice, but we must in no situation be idle. We must always try to do somewhat in the cause of God. This expedition David hid from Achish. But an equivocation which serves the purpose of a lie, is as like to it as a hypocrite is to a profane person, it is only better in appearance, therefore more dangerous. Yet, though believers often manifest imperfections, they can never be prevailed upon to renounce the service of God, and to unite interests with his enemies, or finally to become the servants of sin and Satan. But what a train of evils follow from unbelief! When we forget the Lord's past mercies, and his gracious assurances, we shall be overwhelmed with desponding fears, and probably be led to adopt some dishonourable method to get rid of our troubles. Nothing can so effectually establish us in holy tempers and practices, and preserve us from perplexities, as firm, unshaken dependence upon the promises of God in Christ Jesus.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 27

David, fearing he should perish by the hand of Saul at one time or another, went into the land of the Philistines, which Saul hearing of, sought no more after him, 1Sa 27:1-4; and finding favour in the eyes of the king of Gath, desired a place in his country might be given him to reside in; and accordingly Ziklag was given him, 1Sa 27:5-7; from whence he made excursions into the land of the Amalekites, and others, and utterly destroyed them; but imposed on the king of Gath, pretending he had made his road into the southern parts of Judah, 1Sa 27:8-12.