1 Samuel 27
27
David Aligns Himself with the Philistines
1 David thought to himself,#tn Heb “said to his heart.” “One of these days I’m going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand.”
2 So David left and crossed over to King Achish son of Maoch of Gath accompanied by his six hundred men. 3 David settled with Achish in Gath, along with his men and their families.#tn Heb “a man and his house.” David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. 4 When Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he did not mount a new search for him.
5 David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the country towns so that I can live there. Why should your servant settle in the royal city with you?” 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. (For that reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this very day.) 7 The length of time#tn Heb “the number of the days.” that David lived in the Philistine countryside was a year#tn Heb “days.” The plural of the word “day” is sometimes used idiomatically to refer specifically to a year. In addition to this occurrence in v. 7 see also 1 Sam 1:3, 21; 2:19; 20:6; Lev 25:29; Judg 17:10. and four months.
8 Then David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (They had been living in that land for a long time, from the approach#tn Heb “from where you come.” to Shur as far as the land of Egypt.) 9 When David would attack a district,#tn Heb “the land.” he would leave neither man nor woman alive. He would take sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing and would then go back to Achish. 10 When Achish would ask, “Where#tc The translation follows the LXX (ἐπι τίνα, epi tina) and Vulgate (in quem) which assume אֶל מִי (’el mi, “to whom”) rather than the MT אַל (’al, “not”). The MT makes no sense here. Another possibility is that the text originally had אַן (’an, “where”), which has been distorted in the MT to אַל. Cf. the Syriac Peshitta and the Targum, which have “where.” did you raid today?” David would say, “The Negev of Judah” or “The Negev of Jeharmeel” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” 11 Neither man nor woman would David leave alive so as to bring them back to Gath. He was thinking, “This way they can’t tell on us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” Such was his practice the entire time#tn Heb “all the days.” that he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself,#tn Heb “saying.” “He is really hated#tn Heb “he really stinks.” The expression is used figuratively here to describe the rejection and ostracism that David had experienced as a result of Saul’s hatred of him. among his own people in#tc Many medieval Hebrew mss lack the preposition “in.” Israel! From now on#tn Heb “permanently.” he will be my servant.”
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1 Samuel 27
27
1And Dauid said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: is it not better for me that I saue my selfe in the lande of the Philistims, and that Saul may haue no hope of me to seeke me any more in all the coastes of Israel, and so escape out of his hand? 2Dauid therefore arose, and he, and the sixe hundreth men that were with him, went vnto Achish the sonne of Maoch King of Gath. 3And Dauid dwelt with Achish at Gath, he, and his men, euery man with his housholde, Dauid with his two wiues, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail Nabals wife the Carmelite. 4And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was fled to Gath: so he sought no more for him. 5And Dauid saide vnto Achish, If I haue nowe founde peace in thine eyes, let them giue me a place in some other citie of the countrey, that I may dwell there: for why should thy seruant dwel in ye head citie of the kingdome with thee? 6Then Achish gaue him Ziklag that same day: therefore Ziklag pertaineth vnto the kings of Iudah vnto this day. 7And the time that Dauid dwelt in the countrey of the Philistims, was foure moneths and certaine dayes. 8Then Dauid and his men went vp, and inuaded the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites: for they inhabited the lande from the beginning, from the way, as thou goest to Shur, euen vnto the lande of Egypt. 9And Dauid smote the lande, and left neither man nor woman aliue, and tooke sheepe, and oxen, and asses, and camels, and apparell, and returned and came to Achish. 10And Achish said, Where haue ye bene a rouing this day? And Dauid answered, Against the South of Iudah, and against the South of the Ierahmeelites, and against the South of ye Kenites. 11And Dauid saued neither man nor woman aliue, to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tel on vs, and say, So did Dauid, and so will be his maner all the while that he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistims. 12And Achish beleeued Dauid, saying, He hath made his people of Israel vtterly to abhorre him: therefore he shalbe my seruant for euer.
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