1 Samuel 27:8 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 27:8

And David and his men went up ,.... From Ziklag, where they dwelt: and invaded the Geshurites ; some of the old inhabitants of the land of Canaan, the remains of the Amorites, whose land was given to the half tribe of Manasseh, but could never be expelled; and therefore David had a just right to invade them, and, if he could, either expel or destroy them; see Deuteronomy 3:14 ; these are the Geshurites which are joined with the Philistines, Joshua 13:2 , and the Gezrites ; the... 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 27:8

Went up. The Geshurites inhabited the high table land which forms the northeastern portion of the wilderness of Paran. Like the Kenites, they seem to have broken up into scattered tribes, as we find one portion of them in the neighbourhood of Bashan ( Deuteronomy 3:14 ), and another in Syria ( 2 Samuel 15:8 ). Probably, like the Amalekites, they were a Bedouin race, and so great wanderers. Hence the verb translated invaded is literally "spread themselves out" like a fan, so as to... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 27:8

The Geshurites bordered upon the Philistines, and lived in the mountainous district which terminates the desert on the northeast (marginal reference). They were a different tribe, or, at least, a different branch of it, from the Geshurites who lived on the northeast border of Bashan, and were Arameans 2 Samuel 15:8. The Gezrites, or Gerzites, may be connected with those who gave their name to Mount Gerizim. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 27:8

1 Samuel 27:8. David and his men invaded the Geshurites, &c. These were some remains of the Amorites, and other ancient inhabitants of the country; whom God, for their inveterate and incorrigible wickedness, had commanded to be extirpated. And they “were not confederate with Achish, but in a state of hostility with him; particularly the Amalekites, whom we find soon after making great depredations upon the Philistine territories, chap. 1 Samuel 30:16. David, therefore, did not act in... 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 27:8

DAVID'S DECEPTION OF ACHISH IN HIS MILITARY RAIDS"Now David and his men went up, and made raids on the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the asses, the camels, and the garments, and came back to Achish. When Achish asked, "Against whom have you made a raid today'? David would say, "Against... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Samuel 27:8

1 Samuel 27:8. David—invaded the Geshurites, &c.— This action has been condemned by minute critics, as a piece of ingratitude, and a breach of the principles of hospitality: but as the charge is founded upon a supposition that the nations invaded were Philistines, and the confederates of Achish, it will be found to be groundless if we attend to what follows: "It may be observed, that these clans were not confederates with Achish, but in a state of hostility against him; particularly the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 27:8

8. David . . . went up, and invaded the Geshurites—(See Joshua 13:2). and the Gezrites—or the Gerizi [GESENIUS], (Joshua 13:2- :), 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 (Judges 5:14; Judges 12:15). read more