1 Samuel 29

Philistines Reject David

1Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, # Jos 12:18; 1Sa 4:1 and the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2The lords of the Philistines # Jos 13:3 were advancing by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were advancing in the rear with Achish. # 1Sa 28:1–2 3Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” # 1Sa 14:21

And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years? # 1Sa 27:7 And I have found no fault in him # Da 6:5 since the day of his desertion to this day.”

4But the princes of the Philistines became angry with him. And the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this man return and let him go again to his place which you have appointed him. He will not go down with us in battle, lest he might be an adversary to us in the battle. For with what could he make himself acceptable to his master, if not with the heads of these men? # 1Ch 12:19 5Is this not David, whom they sing for in dances saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his ten thousands’?” # 1Sa 21:11

6Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me # 2Sa 3:25; 2Ki 19:27 in the camp has been pleasing in my sight. For I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. However, you are not acceptable in the eyes of the lords. 7Therefore now, return and go in peace, that you do not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

8David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant, from the day which I came before you to this day, that I may not come and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

9Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight like an angel of God. # 2Sa 14:17, 20 However the lords of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us in battle.’ 10Therefore rise up early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And when you have risen early in the morning and it is light, then depart.” # 1Ch 12:19

11So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning and return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

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1 Samuel 29: MEV

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1 Samuel 29

David Is Rejected by the Philistines

1The Philistines brought all their troops together at Aphek, while the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel Valley. 2The five Philistine kings marched out with their units of a hundred and of a thousand men; David and his men marched in the rear with King Achish. 3The Philistine commanders saw them and asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”

Achish answered, “This is David, an official of King Saul of Israel. He has been with me for quite some time now. He has done nothing I can find fault with since the day he came over to me.”

4But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said to him, “Send that fellow back to the town you gave him. Don't let him go into battle with us; he might turn against us during the fighting. What better way is there for him to win back his master's favor than by the death of our men? 5#1 S 18.7; 21.11 After all, this is David, the one about whom the women sang, as they danced, ‘Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands.’”

6Achish called David and said to him, “I swear by the living God of Israel that you have been loyal to me; and I would be pleased to have you go with me and fight in this battle. I have not found any fault in you from the day you came over to me. But the other kings don't approve of you. 7So go back home in peace, and don't do anything that would displease them.”

8David answered, “What have I done wrong, sir? If, as you say, you haven't found any fault in me since the day I started serving you, why shouldn't I go with you, my master and king, and fight your enemies?”

9“I agree,” Achish replied. “I consider you as loyal as an angel of God. But the other kings have said that you can't go with us into battle. 10So then, David, tomorrow morning all of you who left Saul and came over to me will have to get up early and leave as soon as it's light.”

11So David and his men started out early the following morning to go back to Philistia, and the Philistines went on to Jezreel.

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