1 Samuel 27:2
in 1 Samuel 27So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
KJV
And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 27
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"When the Philistines held him in Gath"; this is recounted in the text of the book of Kings [Samuel]. David was terrorized by attacks of Saul and thought that he would be hidden in the city of Gath among the Philistines. But we have said …
This site's exposition
I shall now perish one day
on 1 Samuel 27:1-2
David's own verdict, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul, comes after Saul's spear missed him twice and a cave full of proof that the Lord had already delivered him. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown call the resolution wrong in more than one particular, and Blaikie reads the verse as the lapse of faith the chapter is built to expose, a shepherd who once trusted a sling now trusting Philistine borders instead. David crosses with six hundred men to Achish son of Maoch, the same Gath where he once feigned madness at chapter 21.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Augustine of HippoTHE LETTERS OF PETILIAN, THE DONATIST 2.93.204 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"What," say you, "have you to do with the kings of this world, in whom Christianity has never found anything save envy towards her?" Having said this, you endeavored to reckon up what kings the righteous had found to be their enemies, and did not consider how many more might be enumerated who have proved their friends. The patriarch Abraham was both most friendly treated, and presented with a token of friendship, by a king who had been warned from heaven not to defile his wife. Isaac his son likewise found a king most friendly to him. Jacob, being received with honor by a king in Egypt, went so far as to bless him. What shall I say of his son Joseph, who, after the tribulation of a prison, in which his chastity was tried as gold is tried in the fire, being raised by Pharaoh to great honors, even swore by the life of Pharaoh, —not as though puffed up with vain conceit, but being not unmindful of his kindness. The daughter of a king adopted Moses. David took refuge with a king of another race, compelled thereto by the unrighteousness of the king of Israel.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And David arose, and he went himself, etc. The Lord leaves the seat which He used to hold in the hearts of the Jews from ancient times and went to acquire the Gentiles for His faith, He himself and the ministers of His word, notable …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
) that they might guard him, and might themselves be safe where he was, and to recommend himself the more to Achish, who hoped to have service out of him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And David arose,....
Masters of families ought to take care of those that are committed to them, to protect and provide for those of their own house, and to dwell with them as men of knowledge.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
David arose, and he passed over - unto Achish - There is not one circumstance in this transaction that is not blameable. David joins the enemies of his God and of his country, acts a most inhuman part against the Geshurites and Amalekites, without even the pretense of a Divine authority; tells a most deliberate falsehood to Achish, his protector, relative to the people against whom he had perpetrated this cruel act; giving him to understand that he had been destroying the Israelites, his enemies.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Now I might perish one day. Perhaps he will ambush me and suddenly attack me. 1 Dovid did not trust Shaul and was convinced that he was laying a trap for him by asking him to remain.—Metzudas Dovid
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֣קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| דָּוִ֔ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר | vaiyaavor | and he passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְשֵׁשׁ־ | veshesh- | and six | H8337 → | 216 times |
| מֵא֥וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עִמּ֑וֹ | imo | [were] with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אָכִ֥ישׁ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מָע֖וֹךְ | maokh | Maoch | H4582 → | |
| מֶ֥לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| גַּֽת׃ | gat | Gath | H1661 → | 32 times |
וַיָּ֣קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
דָּוִ֔דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיַּעֲבֹ֣רand he passed over
vaiyaavorH5674 →556 times
ה֔וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְשֵׁשׁ־and six
veshesh-H8337 →216 times
מֵא֥וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
אִ֖ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עִמּ֑וֹ[were] with him
imoH5973 →1050 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אָכִ֥ישׁAchish
ʾakhishH397 →21 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
מָע֖וֹךְMaoch
maokhH4582 →
מֶ֥לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
גַּֽת׃Gath
gatH1661 →32 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 30:8and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 30:18
So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.
- 1 Samuel 23:2
So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
- 2 Samuel 5:19
So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- 1 Samuel 30:18
Through
1 Samuel 25:13And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 23:13
Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go…
- James 1:19–20
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
- Proverbs 14:29
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
- 1 Samuel 23:13
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, THE LETTERS OF PETILIAN, THE DONATIST 2.93.204; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 55.1; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).