About 1 Samuel

1 Samuel records the transition from judges to monarchy, including Samuel's ministry, Saul's rise and fall, and David's anointing.

Author: Samuel, Nathan, GadWritten: c. 1050-900 BCReading time: ~2 minVerses: 12
TransitionKingshipObedienceRejectionGod's SovereigntyHeart

Places in This Chapter

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Carmel 1(Settlement)Egypt(Region)Gath 1(Settlement)Jezreel 3(Settlement)Negeb(Region)Shur(Region)Ziklag(Settlement)

King James Version

1 Samuel 27

12 verses with commentary

David Lives Among the Philistines

1

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. perish: Heb. be consumed

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David's internal reasoning reveals a crisis of faith after years of relentless persecution: 'I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.' Despite repeated deliverances and divine promises, exhaustion produces despair. The Hebrew 'saphah 'espeh' (I shall surely be destroyed) expresses the certainty David feels in this moment of weakness. His solution, seeking refuge among Israel's enemies, represents a strategic calculation that prioritizes immediate survival over trust in divine protection. This chapter reveals that even great faith can waver under sustained pressure.
2

And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

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David's flight to Achish of Gath with six hundred men represents a significant escalation from his earlier desperate visit. The Hebrew 'wayya'abor' (passed over) suggests crossing a boundary, both geographical and spiritual. David's band now included families, transforming from a guerrilla force into a community requiring permanent settlement. This move placed the future king of Israel in service to a Philistine lord, creating moral and political complexities that would test David's integrity throughout his sixteen-month stay.
3

And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

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The domestic details reveal the human cost of David's wilderness years: his household now included two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, each with her own story of how she came to David. Every man with David similarly brought a household, transforming the fugitive band into a refugee community. The phrase 'every man with his household' (Hebrew: 'ish u-veto') emphasizes the scope of responsibility David carried. Leadership meant providing not just for warriors but for their dependents in hostile territory.
4

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

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The narrative tersely reports the end of Saul's pursuit: 'he sought no more again for him.' The Hebrew 'yasaph' (continued) with negative implies permanent cessation. David's strategy achieved its immediate goal: safety from Saul. Yet this safety came at the cost of exile from the promised land, service to pagans, and moral compromise. The verse marks a turning point in the narrative; Saul's energy will now focus on the Philistine threat that will ultimately destroy him.
5

And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

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David's request for 'a place in some town in the country' reveals strategic thinking within moral complexity. By leaving Gath itself, David would gain freedom from constant surveillance while creating a base for independent operations. His humble self-designation ('thy servant') and rhetorical question ('why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?') employ the language of submission while actually seeking autonomy. This diplomatic maneuvering demonstrates David's ability to navigate foreign courts.
6

Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

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Achish's gift of Ziklag to David establishes an ironic reversal: the future king of Israel receives his first territorial possession from a Philistine lord. The editorial note that 'Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day' indicates this city remained crown property for generations. The Hebrew 'lacen' (therefore, on account of this) suggests Ziklag's status resulted directly from this grant. God's providence works through strange channels, using even pagan generosity to establish David's initial domain.
7

And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. the time: Heb. the number of days a full year: Heb. a year of days

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The timeframe 'a full year and four months' (Hebrew: 'yamim arba'ah chodashim,' literally 'days and four months,' where 'days' idiomatically means a year) establishes the extent of David's exile. This period roughly corresponds to the final sixteen months of Saul's reign, during which David operated independently while nominally under Philistine authority. The specificity suggests an accurate historical tradition preserved in the narrative. These months shaped David's character and established relationships that would influence his reign.
8

And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. Gezrites: or, Gerzites

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David's raids against the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites reveal his complex moral position during this period. These peoples were ancient enemies of Israel, populations that should have been dispossessed during the conquest. The phrase 'of old the inhabitants of the land' (Hebrew: 'me'olam yoshevei ha'aretz') connects David's actions to Israel's unfulfilled mandate. David thus continued Israel's ancient warfare while appearing to serve Philistine interests, maintaining his identity as an Israelite warrior despite his compromised position.
9

And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

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The brutality of David's warfare, leaving 'neither man nor woman alive,' presents modern readers with difficulty but must be understood within its ancient context and specific targets. The Hebrew 'lo yechayeh' (did not keep alive) indicates intentional elimination of witnesses. While morally complex, David's targets were peoples under divine judgment whose survival would expose his deception. The spoils taken (sheep, oxen, asses, camels, apparel) represented the wealth of pastoral peoples and provided resources for David's community.
10

And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. Whither: or, Did you not make a road, etc

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David's deception of Achish represents the moral nadir of his Philistine sojourn. When asked 'Whither have ye made a road today?' (Hebrew: 'al-mi peshatetem,' against whom did you raid), David lies, claiming to have attacked Judah, the Jerahmeelites (a southern Judean clan), and the Kenites (allies of Israel). This falsehood preserved his alliance with Achish while concealing his true activities. The narrative presents this deception without explicit moral commentary, leaving readers to wrestle with the ethics of survival-driven dishonesty.
11

And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

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The grim explanation for David's thorough destruction reveals the practical necessity driving his brutality: 'Lest they should tell on us.' The Hebrew 'pen-yaggidu' (lest they report) exposes fear as the motivation. David's entire position depended on maintaining two incompatible personas: loyal vassal to Achish and faithful Israelite. Dead witnesses could not expose this contradiction. This verse reveals how one compromise necessitates others, creating a web of deception and violence from which extrication becomes increasingly difficult.
12

And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. utterly: Heb. to stink

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Achish's complete deception represents the success of David's strategy and its spiritual cost. The Philistine lord concludes that David 'hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him' (Hebrew: 'hivish hivish,' an emphatic double verb meaning thoroughly stink). His confidence that David 'shall be my servant for ever' reveals how completely the deception succeeded. Yet this moment of apparent triumph marks David's deepest spiritual compromise: a pagan king believes God's anointed has permanently betrayed his own people.

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