1 Samuel 27:5 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:1-7

Here is, I. The prevalency of David's fear, which was the effect of the weakness of his faith (1 Sam. 27:1): He said to his heart (so it may be read), in his communings with it concerning his present condition, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. He represented to himself the restless rage and malice of Saul (who could not be wrought into a reconciliation) and the treachery of his own countrymen, witness that of the Ziphites, once and again; he looked upon his own forces, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:5

And David said unto Achish ,.... After he had been some time with him: if I have now found grace in thine eyes ; or was in favour, as he thought himself to be, by various instances of respect shown him: let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there : he does not ask for a city or town, but a place in one of them, though one was given him; but of whom he asks it, it is not easy to say; though it is certain that Achish gave it him, 1 Samuel 27:6 .... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 27:5

Why should thy servant dwell in the royal city - He seemed to intimate that two princely establishments in the same city were too many. Achish appears to have felt the propriety of his proposal, and therefore appoints him Ziklag. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 27:5-6

If l have now found grace in thine eyes. Now is not an adverb of time, but means "I pray," i.e. If verily I have found favour with thee. David's position was one of difficulty. The fame of his exploits, and of Saul's vain pursuit of him, made Achish no doubt regard him as a bitter foe of the Israelite king, and expect valuable assistance from him; whereas David was unwilling to take up arms even against Saul, and much less against his own countrymen. He is anxious, therefore, to get away... 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

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 27:5

David, with characteristic Oriental subtlety (compare 1 Samuel 21:2), suggests as a reason for leaving Gath that his presence was burdensome and expensive to the king. His real motive was to be more out of the way of observation and control, so as to act the part of an enemy of Saul, without really lifting up his hand against him and his own countrymen of Israel. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 27:5

1 Samuel 27:5. Let them give me a place This was a prudent request of David, who hereby intended to preserve his people, both from the vices to which conversation with the Philistines would have exposed them, and from that envy and malice which a different religion, and his appearing like a prince with so many men under his command, might have caused. For in a private town he might more freely worship the true God, and use the rites of his own religion without offence to the Philistines,... 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

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Samuel 27:5

THE TOWN OF ZIKLAG WAS GIVEN TO DAVID BY ACHISH"Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there; for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you"? So that day Achish gave him Ziklag; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months."We are not given much information about... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 27:5

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. read more