David Takes Refuge Among the Philistines
Convinced Saul will get him eventually, David defects to Achish of Gath and is given Ziklag. He raids southern peoples, kills every witness, and tells Achish he has been attacking Judah. Achish believes him completely. Nothing here is admirable, and the text reports it plainly.
27 1David thought, "One day I'll be swept away by Saul's hand. Nothing is better for me than to escape at once to Philistine land. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel's borders, and I'll escape his hand." 2David set out and crossed over, he and the 600 men with him, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household—David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow. 4When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
5David said to Achish, "If you favor me, give me a place in one of the country towns to live in. Why should your servant live with you in the royal city?" 6That day Achish gave him Ziklag; so Ziklag has belonged to Judah's kings to this day. 7The length of time David lived in Philistine territory was a year and four months.
8David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites, for they had lived in that land from ancient times, toward Shur and to the land of Egypt. 9Whenever David attacked the land, he left no man or woman alive, took the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing, then returned to Achish.
10Achish would ask, "Where did you raid today?" David would say, "The Negev of Judah," "the Negev of the Jerahmeelites," or "the Negev of the Kenites."
11David left no man or woman alive to bring to Gath, thinking, "They might report on us, saying, 'This is what David did.'" This was his practice the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
12Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made himself utterly detestable to his people Israel; he will be my servant forever."
