· Translation: KJV

1 Samuel 27:3David 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.

The setting

Gath, Philistine territory (modern-day Gaza Strip, Israel). ~1010 BC. David, Israel's anointed future king, lives as a refugee among Israel's enemies with 600 warriors and their families.

The emotion here: chronicling a painful irony with sadness

The original word

yashab (יָשַׁב) — to dwell, settle down, remain permanently

Why it matters

Gath was one of five major Philistine cities and likely Goliath's hometown

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 27:3

David brought his TWO wives — this shows he was planning a long stay, not a quick escape

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows David's faith failing, but he's actually protecting 600 families. Sometimes tactical retreat is wisdom, not weakness.

Bible Genome reading

1 Samuel 27:3 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability20%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance40%
Standalone50%
Themes:familycommunitysettlement

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 27:3 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include family, community, settlement. Notable phrases: David lived with Achish; every man with his household.

Your reflection

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