1 Samuel 29:9
in 1 Samuel 29Achish replied, “I know that you are as pleasing in my sight as an angel of God. But the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
KJV
And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 29
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAs an angel of God - There is some reason to think that Achish had actually embraced or was favourably disposed towards the Jewish religion. He speaks here of the angels of God, as a Jew might be expected to speak; and in 1Sa 29:6 he appeals to, and swears by Jehovah; which, perhaps, no Philistine ever did. It is possible that he might have learned many important truths from David, during the time he sojourned with him.
This site's exposition
But what have I done
on 1 Samuel 29:8-9
David protests that he has done nothing to earn dismissal, and several of the older writers read the protest as performance rather than sincerity, since he had led Achish to believe he raided Israelite towns while actually striking Israel's enemies at 27:8-10. Achish answers with a compliment shaped like prophecy, David is good in his sight as an angel of God, language Matthew Henry sets beside Zechariah's promise that the house of David would be as the angel of the LORD. One is a court compliment, the other a divine word, and Henry names the difference rather than let them merge.
This site's exposition
pleasing in my sight as an angel of God
Achish compares David to an angel of God, and John Wesley takes the phrase to mean one in whom no fault is found, as Achish said in verse 6. Wesley adds that the nations also believed in good spirits who served God as messengers. Adam Clarke thinks Achish learned the phrase from David.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Angel of God - In whom nothing is blame-worthy. The Heathens acknowledged good spirits, which also they worshipped as an inferior sort of deities, who were messengers and ministers to the supreme God;
The princes - The Lords of the other eminent cities, who were confederate with him in this expedition. These days or years - That is, did I say days? He hath now been with me a full year and four months, chap. xxvii, 7, and he was with me some years ago, chap. xxi, 10, and since their time hath been known to me.
What Achish says of David, God, by the prophet, says of the house of David ( Zech. xii. 8 ), that it shall be as the angel of the Lord. But the former is a court-compliment; the latter is a divine promise.
And Achish answered and said unto David,....
5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he himself was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of any project of his own to get clear of it.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אָכִישׁ֮ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִד֒ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| יָדַ֕עְתִּי | yada'ti | I know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ט֥וֹב | tov | [are] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אַתָּ֛ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בְּעֵינַ֖י | beeinai | in view my | H5869 → | 887 times |
| כְּמַלְאַ֣ךְ | kemalakh | like an angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֑ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אַ֣ךְ | ʾakh | nevertheless | H389 → | 161 times |
| שָׂרֵ֤י | sarei | [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| אָֽמְר֔וּ | ʾameru | they have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲלֶ֥ה | yaaleh | he will go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עִמָּ֖נוּ | ʾimanu | with us | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ | bamilchamah | in <the> battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
וַיַּ֣עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
אָכִישׁ֮Achish
ʾakhishH397 →21 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִד֒David
davidH1732 →999 times
יָדַ֕עְתִּיI know
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
ט֥וֹב[are] good
tovH2896 →538 times
אַתָּ֛הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
בְּעֵינַ֖יin view my
beeinaiH5869 →887 times
כְּמַלְאַ֣ךְlike an angel of
kemalakhH4397 →213 times
אֱלֹהִ֑יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אַ֣ךְnevertheless
ʾakhH389 →161 times
שָׂרֵ֤י[the] commanders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
פְלִשְׁתִּים֙[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
אָֽמְר֔וּthey have said
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲלֶ֥הhe will go up
yaalehH5927 →890 times
עִמָּ֖נוּwith us
ʾimanuH5973 →1050 times
בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃in <the> battle
bamilchamahH4421 →320 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
2 Samuel 14:20Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 14:17
And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God.…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 14:17
Through
2 Samuel 14:17And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God.…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 19:27
and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 19:27
Through
2 Samuel 19:27and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 14:20
Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 16:3
“Where is your master’s grandson?” asked the king. And Ziba answered, “Indeed, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he has said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my…
- 2 Samuel 14:20
Through
Galatians 4:14And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus…
it leads to
- Matthew 10:40
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13
And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God—the…
- Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
- Matthew 10:40
Through
1 Samuel 29:4But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 14:21
And the Hebrews who had previously gone up into the surrounding camps of the Philistines now went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
- 1 Samuel 14:21
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.