1 Samuel 27:11

_AND DAVID SAVED NEITHER MAN NOR WOMAN ALIVE, TO BRING TIDINGS TO GATH, SAYING, LEST THEY SHOULD TELL ON US, SAYING, SO DID DAVID, AND SO WILL BE HIS MANNER ALL THE WHILE HE DWELLETH IN THE COUNTRY OF THE PHILISTINES._ David saved neither man nor woman alive, [the Septuagint has correctly rendered this clause, kai ouk ezooogonei andra ee gunaika], TO BRING TIDINGS TO GATH, SAYING. [The Septuagint represents this as a part of David's answer to Achish, kai andra kai gunaika ouk exooogoneesa tou eisagagein eis Geth, and I have not saved man or wench alive, saying, etc.] But Josephus ('Antiquities,' b. 6:, ch. 13:, sec. 10), in his concern for the reputation of David, glosses over the cruel massacre, and merely says, as if nothing more had been done than carrying off booty, 'he took much prey of their beasts and camels, and then returned home; but David abstained from the men, as fearing...

8-12 While David was in the land of the Philistines, he attacked some remains of the devoted nations. The people whom he cut off were long before doomed to destruction. It is often wisdom to shun public notice, but we must in no situation be idle. We must always try to do somewhat in the cause of God. This expedition David hid from Achish. But an equivocation which serves the purpose of a lie, is as like to it as a hypocrite is to a profane person, it is only better in appearance, therefore more dangerous. Yet, though believers often manifest imperfections, they can never be prevailed upon to renounce the service of God, and to unite interests with his enemies, or finally to become the servants of sin and Satan. But what a train of evils follow from unbelief! When we forget the Lord's past mercies, and his gracious assurances, we shall be overwhelmed with desponding fears, and probably...

TIDINGS - The word is not in the original. The sense rather is “to bring them to Gath,” as captives and slaves. The prisoners taken would naturally have been part of the spoil, but David dared not to bring them to Gath lest his deceit should be discovered. Obviously these tribes were allies of the Philistines....

DAVID FINDS A REFUGE AT ZIKLAG (1 Samuel 27:1.). EXPOSITION DAVID AGAIN SEEKS PROTECTION AT GATH (1 Samuel 27:1). 1 SAMUEL 27:1 DAVID SAID IN HIS HEART. Hebrew, "to his heart," to himself (see 1 Samuel 1:13). l shall perish by the hand. The verb is that used in 1 Samuel 12:25;...

AND DAVID SAVED NEITHER MAN NOR WOMAN ALIVE TO BRING [TIDINGS] TO GATH,.... How David had fallen upon these people, and destroyed great numbers of them, and carried off their substance; which would have given great offence to Achish, and caused him to have driven him out of his country once more; though Abarbinel is of opinion that these Geshurites, c. were haters and enemies of Achish, and therefore were smitten and spoiled by David or otherwise it would have been such a piece of perfidy, rebellion, and ingratitude, as mast have made the name of David to stink, since it could not but be known sooner or later; but being the enemies of Achish, no notice was taken of it afterwards, nor inquiry made about it, nor complaint made of it, by any of their neighbours: nor does he suppose they were all cut off, and much less that this was done that it might not be told in Gath what destruction he...

CHAPTER 27 _ 1. David's unbelief (1 Samuel 27:1)_ 2. With Achish, King of Gath (1 Samuel 27:3) 3. His slaughter and deception 27:8-12) David became despondent. After all the gracious evidences that the Lord was with him, shielded him and guarded his very footsteps, he relapses in unbelief. Such is the heart of man! He fears for his life and then takes once more his case out of the Lord's hands and flees to Achish the king of Gath. He had been there before and at that former visit he feigned insanity and the Philistinian Ahimelech Achish of Gath had driven him away. Now he is welcomed by Achish, for he brings a small army of 600 young men with him and receives Ziklag to dwell in with his two wives and his household. And Saul after this sought him no more. David abode

1 Samuel 27:1 to 1 Samuel 28:2. DAVID AT GATH (J). Sequel to 1 Samuel 26:25 (_cf._ 1 Samuel 21:10). 1 SAMUEL 27:1. As a last resource David takes refuge at Gath. 1 SAMUEL 27:6. ZIKLAG: Joshua 15:31. 1 SAMUEL 27:7. This paragraph does not simp

David's raids upon neighbouring tribes 8. _the Geshurites_ A tribe dwelling south of Philistia near the Amalekites (see Joshua 13:2), to be distinguished from the Geshurites in Syria (2 Samuel 15:8). _the Gezrites_ These cannot be the inhabitants of _Gezer_(Joshua 10:33), which was far away from the scene of David's operations. The written text (_Kthîbh_) as distinguished from the traditional reading (_Qrî_) has GERZITES. It has been conjectured that this was an ancient Arab tribe which at one time wandered up northwards and gave its name to Mount Gerizim; as their neighbours the Amalekites left traces of former migrations in the name "the mountain of the Amalekites" in the territory

_David's Pretended Campaign Against Judah._ 1 Samuel 27:8-12 8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those _nations were_ of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. 9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. 10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. 11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring _tidings_ to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so _will_ be his manner all the while he dwelleth _in_ the country of the Phili

DAVID FLEES TO GATH, AND OBTAINS ZIKLAG FROM ACHISH 2. David's position now as the captain of 600 men was quite different from what it was in 1 Samuel 21:10....