David Flees to the Philistines

27 Then David said to [a]himself, “Now I will [b]perish one day by the hand of Saul. (A)There is nothing better for me than to safely escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” So David set out and went over, he and (B)the six hundred men who were with him, to (C)Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David lived with Achish in Gath, he and his men, (D)each with his own household—David with (E)his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s [c]widow. Now it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, have them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, so that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore (F)Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was (G)a year and four months.

Now David and his men went up and attacked (H)the Geshurites, the Girzites, and (I)the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to (J)Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. David [d]attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he (K)took the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. 10 Now Achish said, “[e]Where did you (L)carry out an attack today?” And David said, “Against the [f]Negev of Judah, against the [g]Negev of (M)the Jerahmeelites, and against the [h]Negev of (N)the Kenites.” 11 And David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, ‘This is what David has done, and this has been his practice all the time that he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’” 12 So Achish believed David, saying, “He has undoubtedly made himself repulsive among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.”

Saul and the Spirit Medium

28 Now it came about in those days that (O)the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know for certain that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” David said to Achish, “Very well, you will learn what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Then I will assuredly make you [i]my bodyguard (P)for [j]life!”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 27:1 Lit his heart
  2. 1 Samuel 27:1 Lit be carried away
  3. 1 Samuel 27:3 Lit wife
  4. 1 Samuel 27:9 Lit struck
  5. 1 Samuel 27:10 DSS indicate Against whom
  6. 1 Samuel 27:10 I.e., South country
  7. 1 Samuel 27:10 I.e., South country
  8. 1 Samuel 27:10 I.e., South country
  9. 1 Samuel 28:2 Lit guardian of my head
  10. 1 Samuel 28:2 Lit all the days

David among the Philistines

27 But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.”

So David took his 600 men and went over and joined Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath. David and his men and their families settled there with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives along with him—Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel. Word soon reached Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting for him.

One day David said to Achish, “If it is all right with you, we would rather live in one of the country towns instead of here in the royal city.”

So Achish gave him the town of Ziklag (which still belongs to the kings of Judah to this day), and they lived there among the Philistines for a year and four months.

David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times. David did not leave one person alive in the villages he attacked. He took the sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing before returning home to see King Achish.

10 “Where did you make your raid today?” Achish would ask.

And David would reply, “Against the south of Judah, the Jerahmeelites, and the Kenites.”

11 No one was left alive to come to Gath and tell where he had really been. This happened again and again while he was living among the Philistines. 12 Achish believed David and thought to himself, “By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly. Now he will have to stay here and serve me forever!”

Saul Consults a Medium

28 About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”

“Very well!” David agreed. “Now you will see for yourself what we can do.”

Then Achish told David, “I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”