The kingdom
David flees to Gath and settles in Ziklag
David fled from Saul to the land of the Philistines and received Ziklag as a place of refuge from King Achish of Gath. David and his men raided among the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites, but lied to Achish, claiming they had attacked areas in the Negev belonging to Israelites, so that Achish would believe David had made himself hated by his own people 1. Samuel 27:1-12.
1 Samuel 27,1-12
1David said to himself, "Now, one of these days, I will be swept away by Saul's hand. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in the territory of Israel, and I will slip out of his hand."
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־לִבּ֔וֹ עַתָּ֛ה אֶסָּפֶ֥ה יוֹם־אֶחָ֖ד בְּיַד־שָׁא֑וּל אֵֽין־לִ֨י ט֜וֹב כִּ֣י הִמָּלֵ֥ט אִמָּלֵ֣ט ׀ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וְנוֹאַ֨שׁ מִמֶּ֤נִּי שָׁאוּל֙ לְבַקְשֵׁ֤נִי עוֹד֙ בְּכָל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְנִמְלַטְתִּ֖י מִיָּדֽוֹ׃
2So David set out and crossed over, he and the six hundred men with him, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.
וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֔ד וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר ה֔וּא וְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמּ֑וֹ אֶל־אָכִ֥ישׁ בֶּן־מָע֖וֹךְ מֶ֥לֶךְ גַּֽת׃
3David settled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his household — David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow.
וַיֵּשֶׁב֩ דָּוִ֨ד עִם־אָכִ֥ישׁ בְּגַ֛ת ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו אִ֣ישׁ וּבֵית֑וֹ דָּוִד֙ וּשְׁתֵּ֣י נָשָׁ֔יו אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ית וַאֲבִיגַ֥יִל אֵֽשֶׁת־נָבָ֖ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית׃
4When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he searched for him no longer.
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְשָׁא֔וּל כִּֽי־בָרַ֥ח דָּוִ֖ד גַּ֑ת וְלֹֽא־*יוסף **יָסַ֥ף ע֖וֹד לְבַקְשֽׁוֹ׃ ס
5David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place in one of the outlying towns, so I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?"
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אָכִ֗ישׁ אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֣י מָק֗וֹם בְּאַחַ֛ת עָרֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְאֵ֣שְׁבָה שָּׁ֑ם וְלָ֨מָּה יֵשֵׁ֧ב עַבְדְּךָ֛ בְּעִ֥יר הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ׃
6That day Achish gave him Ziklag; and so Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.
וַיִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ אָכִ֛ישׁ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא אֶת־צִֽקְלָ֑ג לָכֵ֞ן הָיְתָ֤ה צִֽקְלַג֙ לְמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ פ
7David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.
וַֽיְהִי֙ מִסְפַּ֣ר הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יָשַׁ֥ב דָּוִ֖ד בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים יָמִ֖ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה חֳדָשִֽׁים׃
8David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites — for these were the peoples who from ancient times had inhabited the land stretching toward Shur as far as Egypt.
וַיַּ֤עַל דָּוִד֙ וֽ͏ַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו וַֽיִּפְשְׁט֛וּ אֶל־הַגְּשׁוּרִ֥י *והגרזי **וְהַגִּזְרִ֖י וְהָעֲמָלֵקִ֑י כִּ֣י הֵ֜נָּה יֹשְׁב֤וֹת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם בּוֹאֲךָ֥ שׁ֖וּרָה וְעַד־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
9Whenever David attacked a region, he left neither man nor woman alive; he took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing, and then returned to Achish.
וְהִכָּ֤ה דָוִד֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יְחַיֶּ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְלָקַח֩ צֹ֨אן וּבָקָ֜ר וַחֲמֹרִ֤ים וּגְמַלִּים֙ וּבְגָדִ֔ים וַיָּ֖שָׁב וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־אָכִֽישׁ׃
10When Achish asked, "Where did you raid today?" David would answer, "Against the Negev of Judah," or "Against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites," or "Against the Negev of the Kenites."
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָכִ֔ישׁ אַל־פְּשַׁטְתֶּ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗ד עַל־נֶ֤גֶב יְהוּדָה֙ וְעַל־נֶ֣גֶב הַיַּרְחְמְאֵלִ֔י וְאֶל־נֶ֖גֶב הַקֵּינִֽי׃
11David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring back to Gath, for he thought, "They might report on us and say, 'This is what David did.'" Such was his practice the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.
וְאִ֨ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֜ה לֹֽא־יְחַיֶּ֣ה דָוִ֗ד לְהָבִ֥יא גַת֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פֶּן־יַגִּ֥דוּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־עָשָׂ֤ה דָוִד֙ וְכֹ֣ה מִשְׁפָּט֔וֹ כָּל־הַ֨יָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֖ב בִּשְׂדֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
12So Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made himself utterly detestable to his own people Israel; he will be my servant for life."
וַיַּאֲמֵ֥ן אָכִ֖ישׁ בְּדָוִ֣ד לֵאמֹ֑ר הַבְאֵ֤שׁ הִבְאִישׁ֙ בְּעַמּ֣וֹ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהָ֥יָה לִ֖י לְעֶ֥בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃ פ