1 Samuel 29
29
The Philistines Reject David
1 # ch. 28:1 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at #ch. 4:1; Josh. 12:18 Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by #Judg. 7:1 the spring that is in #Josh. 17:16Jezreel. 2As #Josh. 13:3 the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear #ch. 28:1, 2with Achish, 3the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me #[ch. 27:7] now for days and years, and since he deserted to me #[Dan. 6:5]I have found no fault in him to this day.” 4But #[See ver. 2 above] the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return #ch. 27:6; 30:1 to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, #[ch. 14:21]lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances,
# ch. 18:7; 21:11 ‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
6Then Achish called David and said to him, #See ch. 20:3 “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that #2 Sam. 3:25; 2 Kgs. 19:27; Ps. 121:8; Isa. 37:28you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight #2 Sam. 14:17, 20; 19:27 as an angel of God. Nevertheless, #Josh. 13:3the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10Now then rise early in the morning #[1 Chr. 12:19, 22]with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” 11So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to #Josh. 17:16Jezreel.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Samuel 29
29
David Can’t Come With Us
1Meanwhile, the Philistines had gathered all of their army camps at Aphek. The Israelites were camped by the spring near Jezreel. 2The Philistine rulers were marching in divisions of 100 and 1000 men. David and his men were at the back with Achish.
3The Philistine captains asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
Achish told the Philistine captains, “This is David. He was one of Saul’s officers, but he has been with me for a long time. I found nothing wrong in David since the time he left Saul and came to me.”
4But the Philistine captains were angry with Achish. They said, “Send him back. Let him go back to the city you gave him, but he can’t go into battle with us. As long as he is here, we have an enemy in our own camp. He would make his king happy by killing our men. 5Isn’t David the one the Israelites sing about? They dance and sing this song:
‘Saul has killed thousands of enemies,
but David has killed tens of thousands.’”
6So Achish called David and said, “As surely as the Lord lives, you are loyal to me. I would be pleased to have you serve in my army. I haven’t found anything wrong with you since the day you came to me. The Philistine rulers also think you are a good man.#29:6 The Philistine … man This is from the ancient Greek version. The Philistine rulers were pleased with David. It was the Philistine army commanders who were against him. The standard Hebrew text has “The Philistine rulers do not think you are a good man.” 7Go back in peace. Don’t do anything against the Philistine rulers.”
8David asked, “What have I done wrong? Have you found anything wrong with me since the day I came to you? So why won’t you let me go to fight the enemies of my lord the king?”
9Achish answered, “I believe that you are a good man. You are like an angel from God. But the Philistine captains still say, ‘David can’t go with us into battle.’ 10Early in the morning, you and your men should go back to the city I gave you. Don’t pay attention to the bad things the captains say about you. You are a good man, but you must leave as soon as there is enough light in the morning.”
11So David and his men got up early in the morning and went back to the country of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
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