1David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand." 2David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 4It was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. 5David said to Achish, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" 6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: why Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. 7The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. 8David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. 9David struck the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the cattle, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the clothing; and he returned, and came to Achish. 10Achish said, "Against whom have you made a raid today?" David said, "Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites." 11David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell of us, saying, 'So did David, and so has been his way all the while he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'" 12Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever."
The Book of1 Samuel 27Chapter XXVII 27
· 12 verses · 2 minute read
About this chapter
1 Samuel 27 — Early Kingdom Period
Samuel/Nathan/Gad — Prophetic historians recording Israel's transition to monarchy. Set in Gath and Ziklag in Philistine territory. Exhausted by years of running from Saul, David makes a desperate decision to seek refuge with Israel's enemies, the Philistines. He convinces King Achish of Gath to give him the city of Ziklag, then begins a double life—raiding Israel's enemies while making Achish think he's attacking his own people.
“1 Samuel 27:1”— 27:1
Read when: Read this when desperation tempts you to compromise your values for temporary safety.
Explore each verse of 1 Samuel 27
This chapter speaks to