1 Samuel 29:6

If the reasons Achish had to trust David were stronger than the reasons which the princes offered why they should distrust him (as I do not see that, in policy, they were, for the princes were certainly in the right), yet Achish was but one of five, though the chief, and the only one that had the title of king; accordingly, in a council of war held on this occasion, he was over-voted, and obliged to dismiss David, though he was extremely fond of him. Kings cannot always do as they would, nor have such as they would about them.

I. The discharge Achish gives him is very honourable, and not a final discharge, but only from the present service. 1. He signifies the great pleasure and satisfaction he had taken in him and in his conversation: Thou art good in my sight as an angel of God, Sa1 29:9. Wise and good men will gain respect, wherever they go, from all that know how to make a right estimate of persons and things, though of different professions in religion. What Achish says of David, God, by the prophet, says of the house of David (Zac 12:8), that it shall be as the angel of the Lord. But the former is a court-compliment; the latter is a divine promise. 2. He gives him a testimonial of his good behaviour, Sa1 29:6. It is very full and in obliging terms: "Thou hast been upright, and thy whole conduct has been good in my sight, and I have not found evil in thee." Saul would not have given him such a testimonial, though he had done far more service to him than Achish. God's people should behave themselves always so inoffensively as if possible to get the good word of all they have dealings with; and it is a debt we owe to those who have acquitted themselves well to give them the praise of it. 3. He lays all the blame of his dismission upon the princes, who would by no means suffer him to continue in the camp. "The king loves thee entirely, and would venture his life in thy hand; but the lords favour thee not, and we must not disoblige them, nor can we oppose them; therefore return and go in peace." He had better part with his favourite than occasion a disgust among his generals and a mutiny in his army. Achish intimates a reason why they were uneasy. It was not so much for David's own sake as for the sake of his soldiers that attended him, whom he calls his master's servants (namely, Saul's), Sa1 29:10. They could trust him, but not them. (4.) He orders him to be gone early, as soon as it was light (Sa1 29:10), to prevent their further resentments, and the jealousies they would have been apt to conceive if he had lingered.

II. His reception of this discourse is very complimental; but, I fear, not without some degree of dissimulation. "What?" says David, "must I leave my lord the king, whom I am bound by office to protect, just now when he is going to expose himself in the field? Why may not I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" Sa1 29:8. He seemed anxious to serve him when he was at this juncture really anxious to leave him, but he was not willing that Achish should know that he was. No one knows how strong the temptation is to compliment and dissemble which those are in that attend great men, and how hard it is to avoid it.

III. God's providence ordered it wisely and graciously for him. For, besides that the snare was broken and he was delivered out of the dilemma to which he was first reduced, it proved a happy hastening of him to the relief of his own city, which sorely wanted him, though he did not know it. Thus the disgrace which the lords of the Philistines put upon him prove, in more ways than one, an advantage to him. The steps of a good man ore ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. What he does with us we know not now, but we shall know hereafter, and shall see it was all for good.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

1Sa 29:6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, [as] the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host [is] good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.

Ver. 6. Surely, as the Lord liveth.] He swareth by Jehovah, of whom haply he had got some notions, either from the ancient patriarchs, or at least from David, whom haply he thought to please herewith; Diodate saith, he flattered with him; sure it is that David flattered grossly with Achish, {1Sa 29:8} which if Achish had known, he would never have said -

Thou hast been upright.] It is better, saith one, to live so as thine enemies may be amazed at thy virtues, than that thy friends should have cause to excuse thy vice.

Nevertheless the lords favour thee not.] Great men are not always good men. That was an extraordinary example of a nobleman of this nation, who in the worst of times, when he came into jeering company of great ones, would begin and own himself one of those they called Puritans, and so anticipated them. {a} "Not many mighty, not many noble are called": blessed be God that any are.

{a} Mr Burroughs on Hosea i. p. 307.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 29:6. Achish said, Surely, as the Lord liveth — He swears by Jehovah, whom David worshipped, that he might be the more believed by him. Or perhaps he had learned something from David of the true God, though he worshipped other gods with him.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

After this declaration on the part of the princes, Achish was obliged to send David back.

Sa1 29:6-7

With a solemn assertion, - swearing by Jehovah to convince David all the more thoroughly of the sincerity of his declaration, - Achish said to him, "Thou art honourable, and good in my eyes (i.e., quite right in my estimation) are thy going out and coming in (i.e., all thy conduct) with me in the camp, for I have not found anything bad in thee; but in the eyes of the princes thou art not good (i.e., the princes do not think thee honourable, do not trust thee). Turn now, and go in peace, that thou mayest do nothing displeasing to the princes of the Philistines."

Sa1 29:8-9

Partly for the sake of vindicating himself against this suspicion, and partly to put the sincerity of Achish's words to the test, David replied, "What have I done, and what hast thou found in thy servant, since I was with thee till this day, that I am not to come and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" These last words are also ambiguous, since the king whom David calls his lord might be understood as meaning either Achish or Saul. Achish, in his goodness of heart, applies them without suspicion to himself; for he assures David still more earnestly (Sa1 29:9), that he is firmly convinced of his uprightness. "I know that thou art good in my eyes as an angel of God," i.e., I have the strongest conviction that thou hast behaved as well towards me as an angel could; but the princes have desired thy removal.

Sa1 29:10

"And now get up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord (i.e., Saul, whose subjects David's men all were), who have come with thee; get ye up in the morning when it gets light for you (so that ye can see), and go."

Sa1 29:11

In accordance with this admonition, David returned the next morning into the land of the Philistines, i.e., to Ziklag; no doubt very light of heart, and praising God for having so graciously rescued him out of the disastrous situation into which he had been brought and not altogether without some fault of his own, rejoicing that "he had not committed either sin, i.e., had neither violated the fidelity which he owed to Achish, nor had to fight against the Israelites" (Seb. Schmidt).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

29:6 by the Lord: Achish used the unique name of Israel’s God to prove his own sincerity. • a trustworthy ally: This assertion was not completely true, though Achish did not realize it (27:8-12).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is, wast conversant with me.

Hebrew, thou art not good in the eye of the princes.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 6. Thou hast been upright] So he thought, for as yet he had not heard of the above transaction; David having given him to understand that he had been fighting against Israel.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) Surely, as the Lord liveth.—This seems a strange oath for an idolatrous prince like the King of Gath to make use of—“By the life of Jehovah.” It was probably the equivalent of the real oath of Achish, unless, as Keil supposes, the Philistine friend of David, in his oath, used the formula which he thought would be most acceptable to David, whom he looked upon as injured falsely by the suspicion of the Philistine leaders.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6–11. David dismissed from the army

6. as the Lord liveth] Either the exact wording of the speech is due to the historian, or Achish, to convince David of his sincerity, swears by the God of Israel.

thou hast been upright] Better, thou art upright.

thy going out, &c.] Thy company in this expedition would please me, for I have always found thee a faithful ally.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then Achish called David,.... Being so near him, that he could call unto him himself, or he sent some person to him, to require his presence with him:

and said unto him, surely, as the Lord liveth; or "Jehovah liveth"; an oath by the true God, of whom Achish might have some knowledge, as he also had of angels, from his conversation with David; though the Heathens had a notion of a supreme Being, and yet worshipped other gods, and whom they called Jove, from this name of Jehovah. Kimchi observes, that all confess a first cause; and therefore when he swore to David, he swore by him in whom David believed, perhaps out of complaisance to him, or that David might pay the greater regard to his oath:

thou hast been upright; sincere, honest, faithful, and just in all his deportment; yet not so sincere as he thought him to be, witness the road he pretended he had taken against the south of Judah, Sa1 27:1,

and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in sight; his behaviour in the army, attending him as the keeper of his head, or captain of his bodyguard, was exceeding agreeable to him, and he could wish to have him continued:

for I have not found evil in thee, since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; whatever he had done before to the Philistines, having greatly afflicted and distressed them in his wars with them, of which this seems to be an exception:

nevertheless, the lords favour thee not; or thou art not acceptable to them, yea, very offensive and disagreeable.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

As the Lord liveth - The swearing by Yahweh seems strange in the mouth of a Philistine. But probably not the very words, but only the sense of this and such like speeches, is preserved.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lord. Hebrew Jehova. (Haydock) --- Achis speaks of the true God, as David was accustomed to do. (Salien) --- Perhaps he adored him, like his other gods; as the Israelites are accused of swearing by the Lord and by Melchom, Sophonias i. 5. --- The pagans often appealed to the gods of those with whom they were treating. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

As the Lord liveth; he swears by Jehovah; either because he did acknowledge their Jehovah to be a God, being, it may be, convinced and instructed therein by David, though he did worship Dagon with him, and above him: or because this was David’s God, and therefore he swore by him; partly out of complaisance with David, that he might receive his unwelcome message to him with less offence; and partly that this oath might gain more credit to his words with David.

Thy going out and thy coming in with me, i.e. thy whole conversation with me. See 1Sa 18:13, and many other places where that phrase is used.

Since the day of thy coming unto me; though before that time there was evil in thee towards me and my people.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

ACHISH SENDS DAVID AWAY (vers. 6-11).

Vers. 6, 7. As Jehovah liveth. These words are strange in the mouth of a Philistine, nor can we suppose that out of respect to David he would thus swear by David"s God. Probably they are the equivalent of the oath which Achish really used. He sends, however, David away with the utmost courtesy, assuring him that his own wish had been that he should remain with him, because all his conduct had been upright since he had come to him at Gath.

Vers. 6-11.

Escape from danger.

The facts are

1. Achish informs David of the remonstrance of the princes, and at the same time expresses confidence in his integrity.

2. On Achish urging his return from the scene of conflict, David professes to be surprised that he should be distrusted, and appeals to his past fidelity.

3. Being reassured of the confidence of Achish, and of the determination of the princes, David returns with his men. The relations of Achish and David appear to have been most honourable to both, and there is something beautiful in the respect and consideration with which this heathen ruler treats the refugee. He does his best to lessen the pain which he presumes the communication of the resolve of the princes will cause him, and sends him away with the strongest assurances of interest and confidence. On the other hand, while keenly feeling the implication of the princes, David displays in his self-vindication the art of a skilled diplomatist. He does not say that he wishes to go against Israel, or that he regrets not being permitted to go, but shrewdly asks whether, so far as concerns his past conduct while with Achish, he might not be trusted in conflict with a foe. There are several topics suggested by this discussion between the heathen king and the Hebrew refugee.

I The STING OF SUSPICION. David was hurt by the imputation of possible treachery. His sojourn among the Philistines had been marked by carefulness not to abuse their hospitality, and to fulfil the obligations incident to his position as a protected refugee. Also, as a pious Hebrew, he claimed to be far above the. uncircumcised in all that makes character noble and trustworthy. Moreover, the probability is he did not entertain thoughts of treachery, but rather in his conscious embarrassment was secretly praying to God for some escape from the dilemma of his position. Although, as a man of the world, he must have seen the legitimacy of their conclusion from their premises, yet this did not remove or lessen the sting of the suspicion of the princes. He was reaping the bitter fruit of his former act; and we have noticed under vers. 1-6 the element of chastisement in this pain. To every upright mind it is most distressing to be an object of suspicion, and especially among persons with whom friendship has been maintained. It eats away the joy and strength of the heart, and destroys much of our power with men. Happy is it for us if a good conscience is a private solace; but we should see to it that the suspicion is not warranted by any puzzling ambiguities in our words or deeds.

II FIDELITY IN ENGAGEMENTS. Achish, in strong language, testifies to the fidelity with which David had kept every engagement involved in his position in the country, and David himself appears to have been honestly conscious that in this matter he was upright. He had done his duty, and that is much to say in a world where so many temptations arise to induce selfish action, regardless of relative claims. It is of great importance in the social order that men understand their position to rulers, to neighbours, and to home, and with careful exactitude discharge the varied obligations resting on them with religious scrupulosity. It is hard to say what material loss, moral injury, and social and commercial disorganisation arise from laxity in keeping engagements. The ease with which some, even professing Christians, can disregard the obligations of their position in society and the Church, and also fail to meet undertakings deliberately made, is very painful to contemplate. We honour God when we "fulfil all righteousness." Our supposed fidelity in great things is deprived of much of its honour and glory by neglect of what are deemed the "minor moralities." Our Lord has taught us the connection between the two. "He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much.

III THE INFLUENCE OF SUPERIOR CHARACTER. There is evident sincerity in the words of Achish when he says of David, "Thou hast been upright... I know that thou art good in my sight as an angel of God." The fact is, the force of David"s superior character as an enlightened Hebrew and a God fearing man was duly recognised by this heathen king. The disparity between the two men in point of spiritual enlightenment and holy aspiration was enormous. The peaceful, kindly disposition of Achish enabled him to live on such terms of intimacy with David as to feel the full force of his superiority. The highest form of character on earth is realised when great natural powers are fully permeated with the light and love of the Christian spirit; and in any case of moderate powers, elevation is attained in so far as the pure, loving mind of Christ rules the life. Such character is a silent formative power in society. Men who speak not of it consciously recognise its beauty and force. They feel its charm, its restraining power, its elevating tendency, its quickening and soothing effects. How blessed the influence of a missionary among degraded heathen! What power for good is exercised by many a devout pastor in village and city! Who can estimate the value of holy character in the master of workmen, the teacher of the young, the mother of a family, the statesman at the head of affairs?

IV CONCEALMENT OF THOUGHT. David complained to Achish of the suspicions of his lords, and was prepared to prove that nothing in his conduct since he had been amongst them gave the slightest ground for their imputation; but his defence was so carefully worded as to conceal from Achish the real thought of his heart. He simply reasoned from his known conduct to a general conclusion of fidelity to his protector; he said nothing of the private wish that he may not have to fight Israel, or of any hope that he shall escape the test of fidelity, or of his secret pleasure that a door of escape was opening. The form of the language, to one not keen in detecting shades of thought under general terms, might lead to the belief that he was referring to the impending battle, and so far perhaps David"s words may be challenged. Yet he only said what was generally true. He concealed the sentiments pertinent to the coming contest. This practice of concealing thought requires much watchfulness. We are not bound to let out all we think, nor are we to give faculties to men to understand what others would see at once, but we are bound not to design to give a wrong impression. Truthfulness lies in intent as also does falsehood.

V DOORS OF ESCAPE. After the fearful strain that must have been put on David"s feelings by the ambiguous position in which he had placed himself, it must have been an immense relief to see the door open for an honourable retreat. The Bible does not tell us all that God"s servants thought and felt and did; but judging from David"s usual conduct when in great straits, and from the references in the Psalms to times of trial, we may infer that during this painful and self-caused season of peril he cried from the depths of his heart for deliverance. It came, and the "salvation" was of the Lord. How this suggests to us the many escapes which God secures for us during our earthly course! What instances there are of the same Providence in the records of the Bible and the history of the Christian Church! And above all, there is now "an open door" set before us by which, if we will, we may escape from the degradation and woe of sin, and walk in the liberty of the children of God. "Escape for thy life," was once said to Lot. He gave heed, and was saved. He that hath an ear to heart let him now hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

David’s Return to the Land of the Philistines

v. 6. Then Achish called David and said unto him, Surely, as the Lord liveth, for he swore by the Lord of Israel, in order to emphasize the sincerity of his statement, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight, his entire behavior at all times had met with the approval of the Philistine king; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; nevertheless, the lords favor thee not, they refused to drop their suspicions against him.

v. 7. Wherefore, now, return and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.

v. 8. And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? And what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee, literally, "before thee," in thy presence, unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? This was again ambiguous, and purposely so, for David would most assuredly not have fought against his own countrymen.

v. 9. And Achish, accepting David’s words as referring to himself, answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God, that was his impression and conviction, that David’s behavior would have done credit to an angel; notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

v. 10. Wherefore, now, rise up early in the morning with thy master’s servants, the subjects of Saul, that are come with thee, and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.

v. 11. So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, as soon as it was light enough to see, to return into the land of the Philistines, to Ziklag. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel, advancing to attack the army of Israel. God’s faithfulness in turning aside the evil results of David’s foolish move is a source of comfort also to us. He does not let us be tempted above that we are able; He spares us tests and temptations which would be too severe for us, which would endanger our faith. Moreover, the very children of the world who hate us are often instrumental, by God’s providence, in having God’s good and gracious will fulfilled in us.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As Yahweh lives

This is an idiom. "As certainly as Yahweh lives" or "This is a true statement" (See: Idiom)

your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good

"I am happy to have you go out and come in with me and my army" or "It is good that you go everywhere with me and my army"

translationWords

call

David

Yahweh

life

prince

favor

peace

Philistines

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.