King James Version

What Does 1 Samuel 27:10 Mean?

1 Samuel 27:10 in the King James Version says “And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south o...” — study this verse from 1 Samuel chapter 27 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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”

1 Samuel 27:10 · KJV

Context

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

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.

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

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.

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

Read 1 Samuel 27 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The Negev regions mentioned (south of Judah, Jerahmeelites, Kenites) were precisely the areas where David should have been raiding if he had truly defected from Israel. David's lies were believable because they matched what Achish expected to hear.

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you evaluate the ethics of deception in life-threatening situations?
  2. What does David's example teach about the spiritual costs of prolonged moral compromise?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 16 words
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר1 of 16

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אָכִ֔ישׁ2 of 16

“And Achish”

H397

akish, a philistine king

אַל3 of 16

“Whither”

H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

פְּשַׁטְתֶּ֖ם4 of 16

“have ye made a road”

H6584

to spread out (i.e., deploy in hostile array); by analogy, to strip (i.e., unclothe, plunder, flay, etc.)

הַיּ֑וֹם5 of 16

“to day”

H3117

a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר6 of 16

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

דָּוִ֗ד7 of 16

“And David”

H1732

david, the youngest son of jesse

עַל8 of 16
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

נֶ֖גֶב9 of 16

“Against the south”

H5045

the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)

יְהוּדָה֙10 of 16

“of Judah”

H3063

jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory

וְעַל11 of 16
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

נֶ֖גֶב12 of 16

“Against the south”

H5045

the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)

הַיַּרְחְמְאֵלִ֔י13 of 16

“of the Jerahmeelites”

H3397

a jerachmeelite or descendant of jerachmeel

וְאֶל14 of 16
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

נֶ֖גֶב15 of 16

“Against the south”

H5045

the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)

הַקֵּינִֽי׃16 of 16

“of the Kenites”

H7017

a kenite or member of the tribe of kajin

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 1 Samuel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

1 Samuel 27:10 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to 1 Samuel 27:10 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Judges 1:161 Chronicles 2:91 Chronicles 2:25Judges 4:111 Samuel 30:29Galatians 2:11-13

Places in This Verse

NegebRegion · Modern: Tel Beer Sheva · 31.24°N, 34.84°E43 verses across 13 books
View all places in 1 Samuel 27 →

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