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.
am 2946, bc 1058, An, Ex, Is 433
And David: 1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:13, 1 Samuel 23:17, 1 Samuel 25:30, Psalms 116:11, Proverbs 13:12, Isaiah 40:27-31, Isaiah 51:12, Matthew 14:31, Mark 4:40, 2 Corinthians 7:5
I shall: This was a rash conclusion: God had caused him to be anointed king of Israel, and promised his accession to the throne, and had so often interposed in his behalf, that he was authorised to believe the very reverse.
perish: Heb. be consumed
there is nothing: 1 Samuel 22:5, Exodus 14:12, Numbers 14:3, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 3:6, Isaiah 30:15, Isaiah 30:16, Lamentations 3:26, Lamentations 3:27
into the land: 1 Samuel 27:10, 1 Samuel 27:11, 1 Samuel 21:10-15, 1 Samuel 28:1, 1 Samuel 28:2, 1 Samuel 29:2-11, 1 Samuel 30:1-3
Reciprocal: Genesis 12:12 - will kill Genesis 14:7 - Amalekites Genesis 19:19 - lest some Genesis 34:30 - and I shall Genesis 42:36 - all these things are against me Judges 15:18 - and fall 1 Samuel 20:3 - but truly 1 Samuel 23:14 - Saul 2 Samuel 22:1 - and out 1 Kings 12:26 - Now shall 1 Kings 19:3 - he arose 2 Kings 8:2 - land Psalms 11:1 - how Psalms 31:22 - I said Psalms 34:4 - from Psalms 55:7 - General Psalms 56:8 - tellest Psalms 142:4 - refuge Proverbs 24:10 - thou Proverbs 27:8 - man Proverbs 29:25 - fear Lamentations 3:18 - General Acts 25:11 - I appeal 2 Corinthians 1:8 - insomuch
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.
David: This measure of David's, in uniting himself to the enemies of his God and people, was highly blameable; was calculated to alienate the affections of the Israelites; and led to equivocation, if not downright falsehood.
the six: 1 Samuel 25:13, 1 Samuel 30:8
Achish: 1 Samuel 21:10, 1 Kings 2:40
Reciprocal: Judges 11:3 - vain men 2 Samuel 2:3 - his men 1 Kings 2:39 - Achish 2 Kings 12:17 - against Gath 1 Chronicles 12:1 - these are
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.
with his two: 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 25:18-35, 1 Samuel 25:42, 1 Samuel 25:43, 1 Samuel 30:5
Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 2:3 - his men 2 Samuel 15:18 - Gittites 1 Kings 2:39 - Achish 1 Chronicles 3:1 - Ahinoam
And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
he sought: 1 Samuel 26:21
Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 17:4 - of Gath 1 Chronicles 18:1 - Gath
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?
some town: Genesis 46:34, 2 Corinthians 6:17
Reciprocal: Joshua 10:2 - the royal cities
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
Ziklag: Ziklag was at first given to the tribe of Judah, but was afterwards ceded to that of Simeon; but as it bordered on the Philistines, if they had ever been expelled, they had retaken it. Eusebius simply says it was situated in the south of Canaan. 1 Samuel 30:1, 1 Samuel 30:14, 1 Samuel 19:5, 2 Samuel 1:1, 1 Chronicles 4:30, 1 Chronicles 12:1, 1 Chronicles 12:20, Nehemiah 11:28
Reciprocal: Joshua 15:31 - Ziklag Joshua 19:5 - Ziklag
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, 1 Samuel 29:3
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.
am 2948, bc 1056, An, Ex, Is, 435
the Geshurites: Joshua 13:2, Joshua 13:13, 2 Samuel 13:37, 2 Samuel 13:38, 2 Samuel 14:23, 2 Samuel 14:32, 2 Samuel 15:8, 1 Chronicles 2:23
Gezrites: or, Gerzites, These people seem to be the Gerrhenians - 2; Mac 13:24 whose chief city, Gerrha, is mentioned by Strabo as lying between Gaza and Pelusium in Egypt.
the Amalekites: Joshua 16:10, Judges 1:29, 1 Kings 9:15-17
as thou goest: 1 Samuel 15:7, 1 Samuel 15:8, 1 Samuel 30:1, Exodus 17:14-16
Reciprocal: Numbers 24:20 - his latter end Deuteronomy 25:19 - thou shalt Joshua 12:5 - unto the 2 Samuel 1:8 - an Amalekite 2 Samuel 3:3 - Geshur 1 Chronicles 18:11 - Amalek
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.
left neither: 1 Samuel 15:7, Genesis 16:7, Genesis 25:18, Exodus 15:22
and the camels: 1 Samuel 15:3, Deuteronomy 25:17-19, Joshua 6:21
Reciprocal: Exodus 17:14 - for I will Numbers 24:20 - his latter end Numbers 31:7 - all 2 Kings 9:15 - none go forth 1 Chronicles 18:11 - Amalek
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: etc. or, Did you not make a road
And David: 1 Samuel 21:2, Genesis 27:19, Genesis 27:20, Genesis 27:24, Joshua 2:4-6, 2 Samuel 17:20, Psalms 119:29, Psalms 119:163, Proverbs 29:25, Galatians 2:11-13, Ephesians 4:25
Against: David here meant the Geshurites, and Gezrites, and Amalekites, which people occupied that part of the country which lies to the south of Judah. But Achish, as was intended, understood him in a different sense, and believed that he had attacked his own countrymen. David's answer, therefore, though not an absolute falsehood, was certainly an equivocation intended to deceive, and therefore incompatible with that sense of truth and honour which became him as a prince, and a professor of true religion. From these, and similar passages, we may observe the strict impartiality of the Sacred Scriptures. They present us with the most faithful delineation of human nature; they exhibit the frailties of kings, priests, and prophets, with equal truth; and examples of vice and frailty, as well as of piety and virtue, are held up, that we may guard against the errors to which the best men are exposed.
the Jerahmeelites: 1 Chronicles 2:9, 1 Chronicles 2:25
Kenites: 1 Samuel 15:6, Numbers 24:21, Judges 1:16, Judges 4:11, Judges 5:24
Reciprocal: Genesis 13:1 - the south Judges 16:7 - If they bind 1 Samuel 27:1 - into the land 1 Samuel 28:2 - Surely 1 Samuel 30:29 - Jerahmeelites
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.
Lest: 1 Samuel 22:22, Proverbs 12:19, Proverbs 29:25
Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 27:1 - into the land 1 Samuel 30:2 - slew not 2 Samuel 17:20 - They be gone Jeremiah 41:4 - after
And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
utterly to abhor: Heb. to stink, 1 Samuel 13:4, Genesis 34:30
Reciprocal: Exodus 5:21 - to be abhorred Exodus 21:6 - for ever 1 Samuel 28:1 - thou shalt go 2 Samuel 10:6 - stank 2 Samuel 16:21 - then shall 2 Samuel 17:20 - They be gone 1 Chronicles 19:6 - odious