1 SAMUEL 27

1 SAMUEL 27

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB (MT versing)
David Flees to the Philistines	David Allied with the Philistines	David Becomes a Vassal of the Philistines	David Among the Philistines	David Takes Refuge at Gath
27:1-4	27:1-4	27:1-4	27:1-4	27:1-4
				David As a Vassal of the Philistines
27:5-7	27:5-7	27:5-7	27:5-7	27:5-7
27:8-12	27:8-12	27:8-12	27:8-12	27:8-12

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

First paragraph
Second paragraph
Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 27:1-4
¹Then David said to himself, "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand." ²So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widow. ⁴Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

27:1 "said to himself" This is literally "in his heart" (cf. Gen. 8:21; 24:45; 1 Sam. 1:13). David was planning how to live outside Israel.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART

▣ "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul" This is a surprising statement in light of David's trust in YHWH and YHWH's numerous deliverances. One wonders if this episode of Philistine service was YHWH's will. The events of vv. 9,11 make me think not.

27:2 "Gath" This was one of five city-states of the Philistines.

27:3 Michal was still with her second husband (cf. 1 Sam. 25:44).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 27:5-7
⁵Then David said to Achish, "If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?" ⁶So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

27:5 David and his men were expensive for Achish to house and feed. David plays on this burden for his own city, out of the sight of his Philistine patron.

27:6 "Ziklag" This was a small town in southern Judah (a few miles northeast of Beer-sheba). Originally it was in the tribal allocation of Simeon but this tribe was incorporated into Judah very early.

▣ "to this day" This is a literary marker of a later editor (cf. 1 Sam. 5:5; 6:18; 30:25; 2 Sam. 4:3; 6:8; 18:18). Notice the added phrase "the kings of Judah."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 27:8-12
⁸Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹David attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰Now Achish said, "Where have you made a raid today?" And David said, "Against the Negev of Judah and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites and against the Negev of the Kenites." ¹¹David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, "Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, 'So has David done and so has been his practice all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'" ¹²So Achish believed David, saying, "He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever."

27:8 David raided Israel's enemies on her southern border (v. 8) but told Achish he had raided southern Judah (cf. v. 11).

▣ "the Girzites" This people group (BDB 173) occurs only here.

This name is omitted in the LXX.
The Peshitta has "Gadolites."
The TEV assumes it is people from a city named "Girzi" (unknown).

▣
NASB	"from ancient times"
NKJV, Peshitta	"from of old"
NRSV, NJB	"from Telam"
TEV	"a very long time"
REB	"from Telaim"
JPSOA	"from the region of Olam"
LXX	"from Gelampsur"

The UBS Text Project, p. 200, does not support the MT's "from of old," but suggests "from Telam" with a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

A city by a similar name occurs in

1 Sam. 15:4, "Telaim" ("lambs")
Josh. 15:24, "Telem" ("a lamb")

27:9 This verse is shocking in its brutality. It was not a holy war situation but a raid. Apparently it was done so that there were no witnesses (cf. v. 11).

ANE warfare was brutal and without pity!

27:10
NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, Peshitta	"Where"
NRSV, Targums, DSS, LXX, Josephus, Vulgate	"whom"

The MT has "not" (אל) but this is probably a scribal error for "where" (אן). The UBS Text Project, p. 201, gives the MT ("not") a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

Achish wants to make sure David is loyal. If he is attacking Israeli settlements this would prove it (v. 12). So David lies!

27:11 See note at 1 Sam. 27:9.

27:12 "surely made himself odious" This is the intensified form of an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a PERFECT tense VERB from the same root (BDB 92, KB 107, Hiphil).

David sent some of the spoils of his victories (v. 8) to the very towns he told Achish he was raiding (cf. 1 Sam. 30:29). David wanted the people of Judah to know he was their friend.

▣ "forever" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

Why did David not continue to trust YHWH's protection against Saul's attacks (v. 1)?
The first time David fled to the Philistines he acted insane; what is different now?
Why did David kill everyone in his raid?
Why did he share his spoil with some Judean cities?