1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4 And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.
5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.
8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. 10 When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
David didn’t believe Saul’s promise to leave him alone (1 Sam 26:21) so he fled with his group outside of Israel to the land of the Philistines. This is the second time he went to King Achish in the city of Gath (1 Sam 21:10). The first time he wasn’t accepted because David was known to be associated with Saul and was seen as a threat. By now the conflict between David and Saul would be more widely known and David would be seen in a more favourable light by the Philistine ruler. He could even be an ally against Israel. When Saul learned that David had led to Gath, he gave up his hunt for David.
David was a cunning warrior. He wasn’t against Israel nor would he ever be. He intended to use his time away still in service of the Lord. In a show of humility, he asked Achish for a place to settle that was in the country. Strategically this would be favourable for the king who wouldn’t want 600-1000 Israelites moving in and upsetting the city of Gath. It also meant David would be able to operate out from the watchful eye of Achish. Achish gave David the city of Ziklag to settle in. Ziklag was about forty kilometers southwest of Gath and technically assigned to the tribes of Simeon (Josh 19:5) and Judah (Josh 15:31) but the Israelites had never conquered it. David managed to bring the city into Israelite hands without any battle and “it belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.” David lived among the Philistines for sixteen months.
During his time David continued to develop his leadership and military strength. He also continued to conquer the promised land which Israel had failed to do (Josh 13:1-2). David would attack the cities of the Geshurites, Girzites, and the Amalekites who were all under the ban (Deu 20:16-17), and following God’s instruction, he left no one alive but took the spoils of war. On his return, he shared a portion with king Achish who inquired about the locations of the raids. David would tell him that he had moved against the arid regions of various parts of Israel and because he had left neither man nor woman alive, no one could report otherwise to Achish. While the Bible is clear that we should not lie (Lev 19:11; Col 3:9) it is expected that in war, deception will be used. Achish was Israel’s enemy. David’s deception worked. His deception combined with generous gifts of plunder caused Achish to believe that David was loyal to him and had become a stench to his own people Israel and Achish trusted him.
It is right to question David’s use of lying. Did he sin? Is military strategy an adequate defense for lying? Consider when and why you have lied? Was it for some noble, God-honouring purpose? Most likely it was to cover up sin or for personal gain—no matter how small. God is clear that he expects us to be truthful (Prov 12:22; 6:16-19; Luke 8:17; Psalm 12:2-6; John 8:44). Are you an honest person?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Coming Kingdom: Luke 17-18