1 SamuelChapitre 27

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David 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."

So David set out and crossed over, he and the six hundred men with him, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.

David 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.

When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he searched for him no longer.

David 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?"

That day Achish gave him Ziklag; and so Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

David 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.

Whenever David attacked a region, he left neither man nor woman alive; he took sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing, and then returned to Achish.

When 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."

David 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.

So Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made himself utterly detestable to his own people Israel; he will be my servant for life."

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Résumé2

Chapitre 27

Main Theme: David seeks refuge with the Philistines to escape Saul’s persecution.

Content: David flees with his 600 men to King Achish of Gath and is given the city of Ziklag as a base. Over the course of one year and four months, David attacks the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites, but lies to Achish, claiming he has been raiding areas belonging to Judah. He kills all witnesses to conceal the truth, leading Achish to believe that David has made himself hated throughout Israel and will remain his servant forever.

Key Terms/Images:

Ziklag: The city given to David by Achish, which later remained under the control of the kings of Judah.
Deception: David misleads Achish by hiding whom he is truly attacking.
Double Dealing: David lives as an ally of the Philistines while secretly protecting Israel’s interests.
Survival: David’s strategy to avoid Saul by living outside the borders of Israel.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Samuel 27

People

Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath – A Philistine city-king over Gath. This is David’s second encounter with him (the first was in 1 Sam 21:11–15), but this time David is received as a vassal rather than as a threat. Achish’s trust in David (v. 12) proves to be completely misplaced.

The Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites – Semi-nomadic groups in the Negev desert and the areas south of Judah. The Geshurites here (הַגְּשׁוּרִי) are likely a different group from the Aramean Geshur in the north, where David’s father-in-law Talmai later became king (2 Sam 3:3). The Amalekites were Israel’s traditional enemies since the wilderness wanderings.

David’s two wives – Verse 3 notes that David brought with him Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel. He had married both of them in chapter 25.

Places

Gath – One of the five major Philistine city-states, strategically located at the transition from the coastal plain to the Judean highlands. As Achish’s capital, it is called "the royal city" (עִיר הַמַּמְלָכָה) in verse 5.

Ziklag (צִקְלָג) – The town that Achish gave David as a fief. Its exact location is debated, with Tell esh-Sharia and Tell Halif as possible candidates in the northern Negev. The text notes that Ziklag remained the property of the kings of Judah "to this day" (v. 6), indicating its enduring political significance.

Negev regions – The chapter mentions three distinct "Negev" areas: the Negev of Judah, the Negev of the Jerahmeelites, and the Negev of the Kenites (v. 10). This reflects that the Negev was divided according to tribal boundaries and settlement patterns. David told Achish he had raided these Judahite and Israel-friendly areas, while in reality he attacked Israel’s enemies.

Events and Customs

Vassalage and deception – David’s relationship with Achish represents a Near Eastern vassal arrangement, but the chapter emphasizes how David manipulated this relationship. By requesting "one of the towns in the country" rather than living in the capital (v. 5), David showed humility toward Achish while simultaneously gaining freedom to operate without supervision.

Raiding and secrecy – David’s practice of killing all witnesses (vv. 9, 11) to conceal his true targets was brutal but militarily calculated. By eliminating all potential informants, he could maintain his double role as a Philistine vassal while attacking Israel’s enemies instead of Israelite territories. The plunder (sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing) was brought back to Achish as "proof" of loyalty.

Key Terms

"Towns in the country" (עָרֵי הַשָּׂדֶה) – The expression in verse 5 distinguishes between the capital ("the royal city") and smaller provincial towns. David asked for such a secondary town to avoid living "with" (עִמָּךְ) the king.

"To this day" (עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה) – This phrase in verse 6 is an editorial note. The plural expression "kings of Judah" (לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה) suggests the text was written or edited after the kingdom’s division, when Judah had its own line of kings.

The time reference – Verse 7 states that David lived in Philistine territory for "a year and four months" (יָמִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֳדָשִׁים). The word יָמִים (literally "days") is used idiomatically to mean "a year" in biblical Hebrew.

Personnages8

David10 Nabal (Abigail's first husband)1 Abigail1 Saul2 Jacob1 Ahinoam1 Maacah1 Achish (king of the Philistines)7

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Mots-clés6

Philistines — A people group who lived in the area around present-day Israel and Palestine, often in conflict with the Israelites.
David — An important figure in the Bible, later king of Israel. In 1 Samuel 27 he lives among the Philistines to avoid King Saul's persecution.
Achish — The king of Gath, a Philistine city. David seeks refuge with Achish and becomes his vassal.
Saul — Israel's first king, who hunts down David out of jealousy and fear that David will take the throne from him.
Ziklag — A town that Achish gives to David as a place to live. David uses Ziklag as a base for his raids against various peoples.
Raids — Attacks or plundering expeditions carried out by David and his men against various peoples to obtain resources and strengthen their position.