1 Samuel 27:10 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:8-12

Here is an account of David's actions while he was in the land of the Philistines, a fierce attack he made upon some remains of the devoted nations, his success in it, and the representation he gave of it to Achish. 1. We may acquit him of injustice and cruelty in this action because those people whom he cut off were such as heaven had long since doomed to destruction, and he that did it was one whom heaven had ordained to dominion; so that the thing was very fit to be done, and he was very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:10

And Achish said, whither have ye made a road today ?.... Or whither had they rushed in, or poured in and spread themselves? or where had they made their excursion to fetch in the prey and booty they now brought? and David said, against the south of Judah ; he meant against some people that lay to the south of the land of Judah, without it; but expressed himself so, that Achish might think he meant the southern parts of Judah within the country; which, though not a downright lie, was an... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 27:10

Whither have ye made a road today ? - He had probably been in the habit of making predatory excursions. This seems to be implied in the question of Achish. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:5-12

The perils of expediency. The facts are— 1 . David, being unwilling to live in the royal city, seeks and obtains Ziklag as his place of abode. 2 . During his stay there he makes war on neighbouring tribes. 3 . He gives Achish the impression that he was acting in hostility to Judah, and so creates the belief that henceforth he must be an ally of the Philistine. The painful backsliding of David is a reminder of the frailty of the best of men, and should induce great watchfulness... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:9-10

David smote the land. These expeditions were made partly to occupy his men, but chiefly to obtain the means of subsistence. They also seem to have brought David great renown, for in 1 Chronicles 12:1-22 we read of warriors from far distant tribes coming to him to swell his forces, and the enthusiasm for him was even such that a band of men swam across the Jordan to join him ( ibid. 1 Chronicles 12:15 ); while others from Manasseh deserted to him from Saul's army before the battle of... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 27:10

The Jerahmeelites - i. e. the descendants of Jerahmeel, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah (marginal references). They were therefore a portion of the “south of Judah.”The Kenites - See Numbers 24:21 note; Numbers 4:11; and for their near neighborhood to Amalek, see 1 Samuel 15:6. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 27:10

1 Samuel 27:10. David said, Against the south of Judah, &c. David expressed himself thus ambiguously that Achish might suppose he had assaulted the land of Judah; whereas he had only fallen upon those people who bordered on that land. His words, therefore, though not directly false, (all those people actually dwelling on the south of Judah,) yet being ambiguous, and intended to convey an erroneous idea, were very contrary to that simplicity which became David, both as a prince and as an... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:1-12

The move to Philistia (26:1-27:12)Although he had every intention of killing Nabal, David still refused to harm Saul; but Saul remained determined to harm David (26:1-5). When another opportunity arose to kill Saul, David refused to act. He was content to leave the matter with God, who would remove Saul when he saw fit (6-12).Once again David produced proof that he had no evil intentions towards Saul (13-17). But clearly David was becoming tired of this continual flight from the mad king. Not... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 27:10

Whither . Some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, read "against whom". road = raid. south. Hebrew the Negeb or hill country south of Judah. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Samuel 27:10

1 Samuel 27:10. Against the south, &c.— The answer was true, but ambiguous; for all those people actually dwelt on the south of Judah. But Achish understood the answer as meaning that the incursion was made on Judah, on the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites themselves, though David asserted no such thing. David, therefore, did not utter a falsity, as some writers suppose, and labour to palliate or to condemn. If he was to blame, it was for giving an ambiguous answer to a question which he was... read more