1 Samuel 27

1Sa 27:1-4.

SAUL

HEARING

THAT

DAVID

WAS

FLED TO

GATH,

SEEKS

NO

MORE FOR

HIM.

1. David said in his heart, . . . there is nothing better for me than

that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines--This

resolution of David's was, in every respect, wrong: (1) It was removing

him from the place where the divine oracle intimated him to remain

(1Sa 22:5);

(2) It was rushing into the idolatrous land, for driving him into which

he had denounced an imprecation on his enemies

(1Sa 26:19);

(3) It was a withdrawal of his counsel and aid from God's people. It

was a movement, however, overruled by Providence to detach him from his

country and to let the disasters impending over Saul and his followers

be brought on by the Philistines.

2, 3. Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath--The popular description

of this king's family creates a presumption that he was a different

king from the reigning sovereign on David's first visit to Gath.

Whether David had received a special invitation from him or a mere

permission to enter his territories, cannot be determined. It is

probable that the former was the case. From the universal notoriety

given to the feud between Saul and David, which had now become

irreconcilable, it might appear to Achish good policy to harbor him as

a guest, and so the better pave the way for the hostile measures

against Israel which the Philistines were at this time meditating.

1Sa 27:5-12.

DAVID

BEGS

ZIKLAG OF

ACHISH.

5. let them give me a place in some town in the country--It was a

prudent arrangement on the part of David; for it would prevent him

being an object of jealous suspicion, or of mischievous plots among the

Philistines. It would place his followers more beyond the risk of

contamination by the idolatries of the court and capital; and it would

give him an opportunity of making reprisals on the freebooting tribes

that infested the common border of Israel and the Philistines.

6. Ziklag--Though originally assigned to Judah

(Jos 15:31),

and subsequently to Simeon

(Jos 19:5),

this town had never been possessed by the Israelites. It belonged to

the Philistines, who gave it to David.

8. David . . . went up, and invaded the

Geshurites--(See

Jos 13:2).

and the Gezrites--or the Gerizi

[GESENIUS],

(Jos 12:12),

some Arab horde which had once encamped there.

and the Amalekites--Part of the district occupied by them lay on the

south of the land of Israel

(Jud 5:14; 12:15).

10. Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day?--that is,

raid, a hostile excursion for seizing cattle and other booty.

David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the

Jerahmeelites--Jerahmeel was the great-grandson of Judah, and his

posterity occupied the southern portion of that tribal domain.

the south of the Kenites--the posterity of Jethro, who occupied the

south of Judah

(Jud 1:16;

Nu 24:21).

The deceit practised upon his royal host and the indiscriminate

slaughter committed, lest any one should escape to tell the tale,

exhibit an unfavorable view of this part of David's history.