8 And David H1732 and his men H582 went up, H5927 and invaded H6584 the Geshurites, H1651 and the Gezrites, H1511 and the Amalekites: H6003 for those H2007 nations were of old H5769 the inhabitants H3427 of the land, H776 as thou goest H935 to Shur, H7793 even unto the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
And Saul H7586 smote H5221 the Amalekites H6002 from Havilah H2341 until thou comest H935 to Shur, H7793 that is over against H6440 Egypt. H4714 And he took H8610 Agag H90 the king H4428 of the Amalekites H6002 alive, H2416 and utterly destroyed H2763 all the people H5971 with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Write H3789 this for a memorial H2146 in a book, H5612 and rehearse H7760 it in the ears H241 of Joshua: H3091 for I will utterly H4229 put out H4229 the remembrance H2143 of Amalek H6002 from under heaven. H8064 And Moses H4872 built H1129 an altar, H4196 and called H7121 the name H8034 of it Jehovahnissi: H3071 For he said, H559 Because the LORD H3050 hath sworn H3027 H3676 that the LORD H3068 will have war H4421 with Amalek H6002 from generation H1755 to generation. H1755
But Absalom H53 fled, H1272 and went H3212 to Talmai, H8526 the son H1121 of Ammihud, H5991 H5989 king H4428 of Geshur. H1650 And David mourned H56 for his son H1121 every day. H3117 So Absalom H53 fled, H1272 and went H3212 to Geshur, H1650 and was there three H7969 years. H8141
And this is the reason H1697 of the levy H4522 which king H4428 Solomon H8010 raised; H5927 for to build H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and his own house, H1004 and Millo, H4407 and the wall H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 and Hazor, H2674 and Megiddo, H4023 and Gezer. H1507 For Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 had gone up, H5927 and taken H3920 Gezer, H1507 and burnt H8313 it with fire, H784 and slain H2026 the Canaanites H3669 that dwelt H3427 in the city, H5892 and given H5414 it for a present H7964 unto his daughter, H1323 Solomon's H8010 wife. H802 And Solomon H8010 built H1129 Gezer, H1507 and Bethhoron H1032 the nether, H8481
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 27
Commentary on 1 Samuel 27 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 27
1Sa 27:1-4. Saul Hearing That David Was Fled to Gath, Seeks No More for Him.
1. David said in his heart, … there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines—This resolution of David's was, in every respect, wrong: (1) It was removing him from the place where the divine oracle intimated him to remain (1Sa 22:5); (2) It was rushing into the idolatrous land, for driving him into which he had denounced an imprecation on his enemies (1Sa 26:19); (3) It was a withdrawal of his counsel and aid from God's people. It was a movement, however, overruled by Providence to detach him from his country and to let the disasters impending over Saul and his followers be brought on by the Philistines.
2, 3. Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath—The popular description of this king's family creates a presumption that he was a different king from the reigning sovereign on David's first visit to Gath. Whether David had received a special invitation from him or a mere permission to enter his territories, cannot be determined. It is probable that the former was the case. From the universal notoriety given to the feud between Saul and David, which had now become irreconcilable, it might appear to Achish good policy to harbor him as a guest, and so the better pave the way for the hostile measures against Israel which the Philistines were at this time meditating.
1Sa 27:5-12. David Begs Ziklag of Achish.
5. let them give me a place in some town in the country—It was a prudent arrangement on the part of David; for it would prevent him being an object of jealous suspicion, or of mischievous plots among the Philistines. It would place his followers more beyond the risk of contamination by the idolatries of the court and capital; and it would give him an opportunity of making reprisals on the freebooting tribes that infested the common border of Israel and the Philistines.
6. Ziklag—Though originally assigned to Judah (Jos 15:31), and subsequently to Simeon (Jos 19:5), this town had never been possessed by the Israelites. It belonged to the Philistines, who gave it to David.
8. David … went up, and invaded the Geshurites—(See Jos 13:2).
and the Gezrites—or the Gerizi [Gesenius], (Jos 12:12), some Arab horde which had once encamped there.
and the Amalekites—Part of the district occupied by them lay on the south of the land of Israel (Jud 5:14; 12:15).
10. Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day?—that is, raid, a hostile excursion for seizing cattle and other booty.
David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites—Jerahmeel was the great-grandson of Judah, and his posterity occupied the southern portion of that tribal domain.
the south of the Kenites—the posterity of Jethro, who occupied the south of Judah (Jud 1:16; Nu 24:21). The deceit practised upon his royal host and the indiscriminate slaughter committed, lest any one should escape to tell the tale, exhibit an unfavorable view of this part of David's history.