Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
Verſ. 1. NOw the Philiſtines gathered together all their armies to Aphek.] A town in the tribe of Aſher, Joſh. 19, 24, 30.
Verſ. 2. But David and his men paſſed on in the rereward with Achiſh.] Though Achiſh was king of Gath onelyonly (which was but one of the five principalities of the Philiſtines,) yet it ſeems he was the chief among all the princes, and had therefore the honour of leading up the rereward, and that therein too, he had given the honour to David and his men of being as it were his own life guard, and therefore it is ſaid, that they marched on with Achiſh in the rereward.
Verſ. 3. Then ſaid the princes of the Philiſtines, what do theſe Hebrews here.] This is not meant of thoſe Lords that were ſubjects to Achiſh the king of Gath, (as is indeed evident by the roughneſſe of their language, verſ. 4. And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him, and the princes of the Philiſtines ſaid unto him, make this fellow return. &c.) but of the princes of the other places of Paleſtina; for theſe all joyned their forces with Achiſh, in this invaſion of the land of of Iſrael, the common ſort had indeed as much cauſe to ſuſpect Davids perfidiouſneſſe, and to provide for their ſafety as the princes had; but the princes had a ſpeciall ſpleen againſt him, becauſe of the honour Achiſh had done him, and therefore they preſently combined together to complain of him, and would have him removed.
Is not this David the ſervant of Saul the king of Iſrael, which hath been with me theſe dayes, or theſe years, &c.] That is, or rather theſe years: for he had been with him a full yeare and foure moneths, which was a good part of another yeare, chap. 27.7. The time that David dwelt with the Philiſtines was a full yeare and foure moneths.
Verſ. 26. Then Achiſh called David and ſaid unto him, Surely as the Lord liveth, thou haſt been upright, &c. In the Original it is, as Jehovah liveth; for in thoſe times theſe idolatrous nations had a reverent opinion, not onelyonly of their own peculiar gods, but of thoſe alſo which they eſteemed the gods of other nations; and ſo having ſo much knowledge of the God of the Hebrews, that they knew he was called Jehovah; Achiſh ſwore therefore As Jehovah liveth, perhaps the rather to pleaſe David herewith: yea, it is probable that even amongſt the heathen, that were aliens and ſtrangers from the common-wealth of Iſrael, there were from former times ſome remainders of truth conveyed concerning God, which were ſtill retained amongſt them; as this of the name Jehovah, from whence no doubt came that name of Jupiter or Jove, which was in after times ſo rife amongſt them.
Verſ. 8. What haſt thou found in thy ſervant ſo long as I have been with thee, unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my Lord the king?] David doubtleſſe would not for his life have drawn his ſword againſt the people of God; but yet that Achiſh and the Philiſtines might not be jealous of him, and ſo for the better aſſurance of his life amongſt them, he was glad to put on a countenance, as if he had greatly deſired to aid the Philiſtins againſt the Iſraelites, and as if it had troubled him much that he might not do it.
Verſ. 10. Riſe up early in the morning with thy maſters ſervants that are come with thee.] That is, Sauls ſervants that are come with thee; and he calls them not Davids ſervants, but Sauls, his maſters; to imply the ground of the jealouſie of the Philiſtine Princes, to wit, the relation which they had to Saul, that they were his ſubjects, his ſervants, &c.
And aſſoon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.] Leſt the lords of the Philiſtines ſhould in their rage fall upon David, he adviſeth him to make all the haſte away that poſſibly he could: and this was all Achiſh intended in this his advice: But God had a further aim in it, for by this means he was not onelyonly freed from the danger of being forced, either perfidiouſly to betray Achiſh who truſted in him, or elſe to fight againſt his brethren, but alſo haſted homeward that he might come in time to reſcue the prey out of the hands of the Amalekites, which they had carried from Ziklag: as we ſee in the following chapter.