1 Samuel 29

The Philistines Reject David

1 Then a the Philistines gathered together all their armies b at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the c lords of the Philistines 1 passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but d David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. 3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me e these days, or these years? And to this day I have f found no fault in him since he defected to me." 4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, g "Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to h battle, lest i in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these j men?

5 "Is this not David, k of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying:
l 'Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands'?" 2

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, "Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and m your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day n I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. 7 "Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines." 8 So David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" 9 Then Achish answered and said to David, "I know that you are as good in my sight o as an angel of God; nevertheless p the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.' 10 "Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master's servants q who have come with 3 you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart." 11 So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. r And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 12:3
    "So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"
    1 Samuel 19:5
    "For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?"
    Job 13:14
    Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands?
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 28:1
    Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, "You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 12:18
    The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one.
    Joshua 19:30
    Also Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob were included: twenty-two cities with their villages.
    1 Samuel 4:1
    And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
    1 Kings 20:30
    But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And BenHadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 6:4
    Then they said, "What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?" They answered, "Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords.
    1 Samuel 7:7
    Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 28:1
    Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, "You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.
    1 Samuel 28:2
    So David said to Achish, "Surely you know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.
  6. Cross References
    1 Samuel 27:7
    Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 27:1 - 6
    And David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.
    1 Chronicles 12:19
    And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, "He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.
    1 Chronicles 12:20
    When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh.
    Daniel 6:5
    Then these men said, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 27:6
    So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:21
    Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 29:9
    Then Achish answered and said to David, "I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.
  11. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 12:19
    And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, "He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.
    1 Chronicles 12:20
    When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh.
  12. Cross References
    1 Samuel 21:11
    And the servants of Achish said to him, " Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:7
    So the women sang as they danced, and said: "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
  14. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:25
    "Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing."
    2 Kings 19:27
    But I know your dwelling place, Your going out and your coming in, And your rage against Me.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 29:3
    Then the princes of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here? " And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, " Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:17
    "Your maidservant said, 'The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.'"
    2 Samuel 14:20
    "To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth."
    2 Samuel 19:27
    And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 29:4
    But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, "Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men?
  18. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 12:19
    And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, "He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.
    1 Chronicles 12:22
    For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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