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.
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 (); (2) It was rushing into the idolatrous land, for driving
him into which he had denounced an imprecation on his enemies (); (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.
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.
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.
. DAVID BEGS
ZIKLAG OF ACHISH.
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.
And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
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?
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.
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
6. Ziklag—Though originally
assigned to Judah (Joshua 15:31),
and subsequently to Simeon (Joshua 15:31), this town had never been possessed by the Israelites. It
belonged to the Philistines, who gave it to David.
And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
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.
8. David . . . went up, and invaded
the Geshurites—(See Joshua 13:2).
and the Gezrites—or the
Gerizi [GESENIUS], (Joshua 13:2), 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 (Judges 5:14; Judges 12:15).
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.
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.
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 (Judges 1:16;
Numbers 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.
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.
And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
