1David marcheth with the Philistines: their princes are offended therewith. 6Achish dismisseth him with commendations of his fidelity.
1NOW the Philistines gathered together all their armies to aAphek: and the Israelites pitched by ba fountain which is in cJezreel.
a Jos. 12.18; 19.18,30. 1Ki. 20.30. ch. 28.1,4; 4.1. b Ju. 7.1. c v.11.
2And dthe lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but eDavid and his men passed on in the *rereward with Achish.
*rereward-rear ward, rearguard.
d Jos. 13.3. e ch. 28.1,2.
3Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here ? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me fthese days, or these years, and I have found gno fault in him since he hfell unto me unto this day?
f ch. 27.7. g Da. 6.4,5. Ro. 12.17. Phi. 2.15. Col. 4.5. 1Pe. 3.15,16. h 1Ch. 12.19,20.
4And the princes of the Philistines were *wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, iMake this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
*wroth-angry.
i 1Ch. 12.19. ch. 14.21; 27.6.
5Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, jSaul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
j ch. 18.7; 21.11.
6¶Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as kthe LORD liveth, lthou hast been upright, and mthy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless 1the lords favour thee not.
1Heb. thou art not good in the eyes of the lords.
k ch. 6.2; 20.10; 28.3. l Mat. 5.16. 1Pe. 3.15. Ps. 121.8. v.9. m 2Sa. 3.25.
7Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou 2displease not the lords of the Philistines.
2Heb. do not evil in the eyes of the lords.
8¶And David said unto Achish, nBut what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been 3with thee unto this day, othat I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
3Heb. before thee.
n ch. 20.8; 26.18; 12.3. o Ps. 34.13,14; 25.21; 119.29. 2Sa. 14.17. Col. 3.9. Ep. 4.25.
9And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, pas an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
p 2Sa. 14.17,20; 19.27.
10Wherefore now rise up early in the morning qwith thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
q 1Ch. 12.19-22. v.4.
11So David and his men rose up early to rdepart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to sJezreel.
r Ge. 22.14. 1Co. 10.13. 1Ch. 12.19,20. ch. 30.1,2. Ps. 37.23; 46.1. s v.1. 2Sa. 4.4.