20140413 Sunday, April 13 2014
1 Samuel 27: David The Philistine Warrior

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines"

In many ways, the Israelite civil war in the time of David and Saul (see 1 Samuel 15: Saul's Impeachment, 1 Samuel 16: The Anointing Of David, 1 Samuel 18: The Rise Of David, 1 Samuel 19: The Parting of David and Saul and 1 Samuel 21: Why Didn't David Kill Saul?) was a "twilight zone" war - the Israelites were fighting each other, while at the same time fighting the hostile nations around them - primarily the powerful Philistines. The situation did however provide a bizarre pragmatism that could benefit the military success of any of the combatants, whether that of David, or of Saul, or of the Philistines.

David had been a deadly and unbeatable (as made possible by the LORD - Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) enemy to the Philistines ever since he killed Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17: The Battle Of David And Goliath). Nevertheless, the king of Gath, Goliath's home town, gave refuge to David from Saul. For the Philistines, Saul was the more powerful enemy because of his large, nearly-all-Israel army - while David still had only about 600 irregulars, mostly from Judah, who would thereby be easily neutralized as a threat to the Philistines.

"27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

27:2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath." (1 Samuel 27:1-2 KJV)

The strategy worked - for David and the Philistines. It did for Saul too, if only to remove David from Israel: When "it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him."

"27:3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 27:4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him." (1 Samuel 27:3-4 KJV)

The nature of pragmatic opportunism is such that it can be quickly lost whenever something more advantageous comes along. David knew that his refuge could be betrayed at the whim of the Philistine king, so David made himself more beneficial to the Philistines, while continuing his war against Saul. Nevertheless, anyone in Israel who survived an attack by David ("David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned") during that time would have regarded David as a Philistine warrior.

"27:5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

27:6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. 27:7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

27:8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. 27:9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

27:10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day?

And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. 27:11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. 27:12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever." (1 Samuel 27:5-12 KJV)

Fact Finder: Where and what was the "City of David"? What "Tabernacle" did David build in Jerusalem?
See A History Of Jerusalem: The City Of David and David's Tabernacle