Naravist

The Histories · Old Testament

1 Samuel 27

David settles under Achish at Ziklag

General context

Fearing that Saul will eventually kill him, David takes his six hundred men and their households to Achish at Gath. Saul stops searching for him. Achish grants David Ziklag, from which he raids neighboring peoples. David kills men and women so that no survivors can report his actions to Gath, while telling Achish that he has attacked Judah and its associated groups. Achish believes that David has made himself permanently dependent on him.

Cited passages: 1 Samuel 27:1, 1 Samuel 27:2, 1 Samuel 27:3, 1 Samuel 27:4, 1 Samuel 27:5, 1 Samuel 27:6, 1 Samuel 27:7, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 27:9, 1 Samuel 27:10, 1 Samuel 27:11, 1 Samuel 27:12

1 Samuel 27 (KJV)

1And 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.

2And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3And 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.

4And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

5And 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?

6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

7And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

8And 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.

9And 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.

10And 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.

11And 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.

12And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

David's household includes Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow. The narrator gives the stay in Philistine territory as a year and four months and explains Ziklag's later association with Judah's kings. The groups actually raided are distinguished from the territories David names to Achish. The chapter explicitly connects killing survivors with preventing reports from reaching Gath.

Cited passages: 1 Samuel 27:2, 1 Samuel 27:3, 1 Samuel 27:4, 1 Samuel 27:5, 1 Samuel 27:6, 1 Samuel 27:7, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 27:9, 1 Samuel 27:10, 1 Samuel 27:11, 1 Samuel 27:12

Literary context

The opening gives David's fear in his own inward reasoning, and the ending gives Achish's confident but misinformed conclusion. Between them, the reader sees both the raids and the misleading report. David gains shelter while maintaining it through deception and lethal suppression of witnesses; the chapter does not present these acts as a divine command.

Cited passages: 1 Samuel 27:1, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 27:9, 1 Samuel 27:10, 1 Samuel 27:11, 1 Samuel 27:12

Key moments

  1. David decides to leave (1 Samuel 27:1). David reasons that escape to Philistine territory will end Saul's pursuit.
  2. Ziklag granted (1 Samuel 27:6). Achish gives David a town away from the royal city.
  3. The raids and killings (1 Samuel 27:9). David's raids leave no men or women alive and take livestock and clothing.
  4. A misleading report (1 Samuel 27:10). David names territories different from those the narrator says he raided.
  5. Achish believes him (1 Samuel 27:12). Achish concludes that David has alienated Israel and will remain his servant.

For reflection

What must the reader hold together about David's need for refuge and the means he uses while living under Achish?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here: