1 Samuel 29:3
in 1 Samuel 29Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me all these days, even years, and from the day he defected until today I have found no fault in him.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day?
KJV
Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 29
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThese days, or these years - I suppose these words to mark no definite time, and may be understood thus: “Is not this David, who has been with me for a considerable time?”
This site's exposition
What do these Hebrews here
on 1 Samuel 29:3-4
Achish defends David to his own princes with a plain testimonial, no fault found in him since the day he fell unto me. The princes answer with military logic David cannot disprove, that a man cannot buy his way back into Saul's favor except with Philistine heads, and their suspicion sits closer to the truth than Achish's trust, since David had spent his months at Ziklag raiding towns he never reported to his Philistine lord. The scene sets one Gentile king's honest good opinion against shrewder men who read the case rightly for the wrong reason.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church4 voices
And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, etc. Achish praising the friendship of David, the angry princes of the Philistines avoid his companionship in battle, fearing his fighting prowess as fame spreads. Finally, among other things they say:
And Achish called David, and said to him, etc. Achish himself indeed declares David to be upright, innocent, and good, as an angel of God; but so as not to offend the eyes of the Philistine princes, he orders him to withdraw from the battle, …
Is this not David? etc. While the Church of the nations praises the faith in Christ, through which eternal life is deserved, angry philosophers and priests of idols fear to believe in Him, whose word they mourn has destroyed their worship and wisdom; they see …
The princes of the Philistines said: What do these Hebrews want? The pagans despise the life, society, and doctrine of the faithful of Christ, who are justly called Hebrews, that is, those who pass over; because they now know how to transit from vices to …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
What confidence can we put in them, or what service can we expect from them?" A Hebrew is out of his place, and, if he has the spirit of a Hebrew, is out of his element, when he is in the camp of the Philistines, and deserves to be made uneasy there.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then said the princes of the Philistines,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He fell unto me - The regular word for deserting and going over to the other side. See Jer 37:13; Jer 38:19.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
From the day he settled. From the day of his camping with me. 1 See Bereishis:18, and Rashi there explains that נָפָל means ‘dwelt.’
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. 7 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
35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| מָ֖ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| הָעִבְרִ֣ים | haivrim | [are] the Hebrews | H5680 → | 34 times |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אָכִ֜ישׁ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| הֲלֽוֹא־ | halo'- | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| זֶ֨ה | zeh | [is] this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| דָוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| עֶ֣בֶד׀ | ʾeved | [the] servant of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| שָׁא֣וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָיָ֤ה | hayah | he has been | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אִתִּי֙ | ʾiti | with me | H854 → | 929 times |
| זֶ֤ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| יָמִים֙ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אוֹ־ | ʾov- | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| זֶ֣ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| שָׁנִ֔ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מָצָ֤אתִי | matzati | I have found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| בוֹ֙ | vo | in <the> him | ||
| מְא֔וּמָה | meumah | anything | H3972 → | 32 times |
| מִיּ֥וֹם | miyom | from [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| נָפְל֖וֹ | nafelo | fell he | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ פ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] commanders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
מָ֖הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
הָעִבְרִ֣ים[are] the Hebrews
haivrimH5680 →34 times
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אָכִ֜ישׁAchish
ʾakhishH397 →21 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] commanders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
הֲלֽוֹא־¿ not
halo'-H3808 →5168 times
זֶ֨ה[is] this
zehH2088 →1180 times
דָוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
עֶ֣בֶד׀[the] servant of
ʾevedH5650 →799 times
שָׁא֣וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָיָ֤הhe has been
hayahH1961 →3559 times
אִתִּי֙with me
ʾitiH854 →929 times
זֶ֤הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
יָמִים֙days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
אוֹ־or
ʾov-H176 →321 times
זֶ֣הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
שָׁנִ֔יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
מָצָ֤אתִיI have found
matzatiH4672 →455 times
בוֹ֙in <the> him
vo
מְא֔וּמָהanything
meumahH3972 →32 times
מִיּ֥וֹםfrom [the] day
miyomH3117 →2304 times
נָפְל֖וֹfell he
nafeloH5307 →435 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃ פ<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Romans 12:17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
it leads to
- Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
- 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- Matthew 5:39
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;
- 2 Corinthians 8:20–21
We hope to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.
- Proverbs 20:22
Through
Daniel 6:5Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”
it leads to
- Acts 24:13–16
Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.
- Esther 3:8
Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey…
- 1 Samuel 24:17
and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.
- Acts 24:13–16
About 1 Samuel

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
