1 Samuel 27
In 1 Samuel 27, David, after fleeing from Saul for years, seeks refuge among the Philistines, Israel's enemies. He gains the favor of King Achish of Gath by deceiving him about his activities. David cleverly conducts raids against Israel's enemies while pretending to attack Israelite territories. This chapter shows David's survival tactics and his ability to navigate complex political situations while remaining loyal to his own people.
1 Samuel 27:1 (NKJV)
1 And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”
David, exhausted from constantly being pursued by Saul, fears that one day Saul will catch him. In a moment of doubt, he decides that fleeing to the land of the Philistines, where Saul wouldn’t dare follow, is his best option for survival. David believes that once he is outside of Israel, Saul will give up the chase.
1 Samuel 27:2-4 (NKJV)
2 Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.
4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.
David, along with his 600 men and their families, moves to Gath, a Philistine city ruled by King Achish. This move not only protects David from Saul but also gives him some stability. Saul, upon hearing of David’s relocation to enemy territory, stops pursuing him, believing that David is no longer a threat within Israel.
1 Samuel 27:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
7 Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.
David requests a separate town to live in, not wanting to remain in the royal city. Achish grants him Ziklag, a town that becomes significant for Judah. David’s stay in Philistine territory lasts for over a year, during which he builds trust with Achish by giving the appearance of loyalty while maintaining his own agenda.
1 Samuel 27:8-9 (NKJV)
8 And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.
9 Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.
David conducts raids against Israel’s ancient enemies—Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites—without leaving any survivors. He takes their livestock and goods, ensuring that no one could report back to Achish what he was truly doing. David carefully crafts a narrative that serves his interests while protecting his people.
1 Samuel 27:10-11 (NKJV)
10 Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.”
11 David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
When asked by Achish about his raids, David lies, claiming that he attacked Israelite regions, like Judah or the Kenites. In truth, he was attacking Israel’s enemies, but by leaving no survivors, David ensures that Achish remains unaware of his true activities. His deception allows him to continue building alliances in secret.
1 Samuel 27:12 (NKJV)
12 So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”
Achish, fully deceived by David’s lies, believes that David has become an enemy of Israel. He assumes that David’s actions have made him irredeemable in the eyes of the Israelites, ensuring his loyalty to the Philistines. This misunderstanding provides David a secure position within the Philistine kingdom, while in reality, his loyalty to Israel remains intact.