1 Samuel 21:11

_AND THE SERVANTS OF ACHISH SAID UNTO HIM, IS NOT THIS DAVID THE KING OF THE LAND? DID THEY NOT SING ONE TO ANOTHER OF HIM IN DANCES, SAYING, SAUL HATH SLAIN HIS THOUSANDS, AND DAVID HIS TEN THOUSANDS?_ Is not this David the king of the land? The report of his destined elevation to the throne seems to have been IS NOT THIS DAVID THE KING OF THE LAND? The report of his destined elevation to the throne seems to have been spread among the Philistines. DID THEY NOT SING ONE TO ANOTHER ... SAUL HATH SLAIN HIS THOUSANDS, AND DAVID HIS TEN THOUSANDS? The fame of his martial achievements, which had been performed chiefly against their country, roused the patriotic resentment of the courtiers at Gath, and David, as the king began to sympathize with them, felt himself in a false position....

10-15 God's persecuted people have often found better usage from Philistines than from Israelites. David had reason to put confidence in Achish, yet he began to be afraid. His conduct was degrading, and discovered wavering in his faith and courage. The more simply we depend on God, and obey him, the more comfortably and surely we shall walk through this troublesome world....

THE KING OF THE LAND - The Philistines gave him the title which their own lords bore....

DAVID'S FLIGHT TO NOB, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE PHILISTINES (1 Samuel 21:1.). EXPOSITION DAVID'S FLIGHT TO NOB (1 Samuel 21:1). 1 SAMUEL 21:1 THEN CAME DAVID TO NOB. Nob means a _knoll _or _hill, _and apparently was situated a little to the north of Jerusalem on the road leading to Gath. The ark had evidently been removed thither by Saul early in his reign, after it had remained for twenty years in the house of Abinadab; a

AND THE SERVANTS OF ACHISH SAID UNTO HIM,.... Who knew who David was, and perceiving that he was respected by Achish: [IS] NOT THIS DAVID THE KING OF THE LAND? of the land of the Philistines; so some render the words, "the king of this land" q; which belongs unto him for his conquest of Goliath; for this was what was proposed by him, that whoever was the conqueror should possess the kingdom; and seeing it belongs to him, O Achish, why dost thou admit him to court? thou wilt be driven from the throne, and we shall be his servants, and not thine r: but rather they mean the king of the land of Israel, having heard that he was anointed king by Samuel, and was to succeed Saul; or rather, they called him so because he led out the armies of Israel as their general, and being victorious was more respected than even Saul was; for they had heard what the women sung in their songs as follows: did...

6. DAVID'S VARIED EXPERIENCES CHAPTER 21 _ 1. David at Nob with Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1)_ 2. David's flight to Achish, King of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10) With this chapter begins the record of David's wanderings as an exile. A number of Psalms were written by him during this period of the rejection of the Lord's anointed. We shall point out some of them. These Psalms are prophetic also foreshadowing the rejection and the sufferings of Christ as well as the tribulations of the pious remnant of Israel during the closing years of the age, preceding the coming and enthronement of the King of Israel, our Lord. He reached Nob after his separation from Jonathan. At Nob the tabernacle of the Lord had been established and Ahimelech (my brother is King) the son of Ahitub (22:9) and g

1 SAMUEL 21. DAVID AT NOB AND GATH. 1 Samuel 21:1 (J). From one of the ancient documents; it is not clear which of the previous sections finds its sequel here. It is often connected with 1 Samuel 19:17: if this is right, David fled straight from his own house to Nob. It is likely that originally stories of single episodes of David's adventures circulated separately by oral tradition or otherwise, not forming a connected narrative. When they were collected, different editors might arrange and connect them in different ways. David fled to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Nob was probably a little N. of Jerusalem, on the way from Gibeah to Bethlehem. According to 1 Samuel 22:9 Ahimelech was the son of Ahitub, and

IS NOT THIS. Compare 1 Samuel 18:7 and 1 Samuel 29:5. DID THEY NOT... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis.App-6._ Compare 1 Samuel 18:7 and 1 Samuel 29:5....

David's flight to Gath 10. _and went to Achish_ In the extremity of peril, David was driven to take refuge among Saul's bitterest enemies, and offer himself as a servant to Achish (1 Samuel 21:15). He hoped no doubt that the Philistines would not recognise the stripling who slew their champion. Unlike Themistocles and Alcibiades when they were banished from Athens, he had no intention of turning traitor to his country. The circumstances of this sojourn at Gath and that recorded in ch. 27 are entirely unlike, and correspond exactly to the difference of occasion. In the present case David went alone, was ill received, and was compelled to feign madness for safety and escape as soon as possible: later on when his breach with Saul was notorious, he went with a numerous following, was received and established at Ziklag, and remained for more than a year....

THE KING OF THE LAND— The generality of interpreters suppose, either that the Philistines knew that David should succeed Saul in the kingdom, or that by the word _king_ is meant _chief_ or _general._ See Deuteronomy 33:5....