I Samuel 27

שמואל א׳ פרק כ״ז

Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: I Samuel | Chapter: 27 of 31 | Day: 72 of 742

Date: April 24, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

Chapter 27 marks one of the most morally complex turning points in David’s fugitive career. After two dramatic encounters in which Saul acknowledged David’s righteousness and swore to cease pursuing him (chapters 24 and 26), David arrives at a devastating internal conclusion: “Someday I shall certainly perish at the hands of Saul” (עתה אספה יום אחד ביד שאול). Rashi explains that David feared Saul would “ambush and suddenly attack” despite his promises, and Metzudat David elaborates that David’s growing success only made him a more tempting target — the more David prospered, the more reason Saul had to eliminate him before he could consolidate power. This moment of despair is striking precisely because it follows two episodes that might have given David cause for hope. The text presents David’s reasoning without editorial comment, leaving the reader to weigh whether this was pragmatic wisdom or a failure of faith.

David’s decision to defect to Achish king of Gath — the same Philistine ruler before whom he had once feigned madness (chapter 21) — represents a radical strategic pivot. He arrives not as a lone refugee this time but as a warlord commanding six hundred fighting men with their families, making him a valuable military asset rather than a suspected spy. The narrative notes with quiet finality that when Saul heard David had fled to Gath, “he did not pursue him anymore” (ולא יסף עוד לבקשו), confirming the cold logic of David’s calculation. Radak observes that the term “asfeh” (אספה) carries the sense of utter destruction, not merely death — David feared total annihilation. His request for a provincial town rather than residence in the royal city of Gath reveals further shrewdness: distance from Achish’s court meant less scrutiny of his daily activities. The grant of Ziklag, which the narrator notes “came to belong to the kings of Judah, as is still the case,” hints at a providential dimension beneath the political maneuvering — even in exile among Israel’s enemies, David was acquiring the territorial foundations of his future kingdom.

The chapter’s most troubling passage describes David’s military campaigns during his sixteen months in Philistine territory. He raided the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites — enemies of Israel dwelling in the southern desert — but reported to Achish that he had been raiding the Negeb of Judah, the Jerahmeelites, and the Kenites, all Israelite-allied populations. This double deception required not merely lying to Achish but conducting a policy of total extermination: David “would leave no man or woman alive” so that no survivor could contradict his reports. Metzudat David notes the grim calculus explicitly — David feared that captives brought to Gath would reveal his true targets. The text presents this ruthless strategy without moral judgment, a characteristic of biblical narrative that forces the reader to grapple with the ethical dimensions independently.

Yet beneath the deception lies a layer of covenantal loyalty that the careful reader cannot miss. David’s actual targets — the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites — were precisely the populations that Israel was commanded to dispossess. His fictitious targets — the Negeb of Judah and its allied clans — were precisely the communities he was secretly protecting. Even in Philistine service, David was waging Israel’s wars and shielding Israel’s people. Radak and other commentators note that this period prepared David for kingship by building military experience, securing the southern frontier, and earning the loyalty of Judahite settlements whose safety he was quietly ensuring. The chapter ends with Achish’s complete trust in David — “He has aroused the wrath of his own people Israel, and so he will be my vassal forever” — a dramatic irony that sets the stage for the crisis of chapter 28-29, when David will be summoned to march against his own nation in the climactic battle at Gilboa.

פרק כ״ז · Chapter 27

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־לִבּ֔וֹ עַתָּ֛ה אֶסָּפֶ֥ה יוֹם־אֶחָ֖ד בְּיַד־שָׁא֑וּל אֵֽין־לִ֨י ט֜וֹב כִּ֣י הִמָּלֵ֥ט אִמָּלֵ֣ט ׀ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וְנוֹאַ֨שׁ מִמֶּ֤נִּי שָׁאוּל֙ לְבַקְשֵׁ֤נִי עוֹד֙ בְּכׇל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְנִמְלַטְתִּ֖י מִיָּדֽוֹ׃

English:

David said to himself, “Someday I shall certainly perish at the hands of Saul. The best thing for me is to flee to the land of the Philistines; Saul will then give up hunting me throughout the territory of Israel, and I will escape him.”

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

וַיָּ֣קׇם דָּוִ֔ד וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר ה֔וּא וְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣�� עִמּ֑וֹ אֶל־אָכִ֥ישׁ בֶּן־מָע֖וֹךְ מֶ֥לֶךְ גַּֽת׃

English:

So David and the six hundred men with him went and crossed over to King Achish son of Maoch of Gath.

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ דָּוִ֨ד עִם־אָכִ֥ישׁ בְּגַ֛ת ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו אִ֣ישׁ וּבֵית֑וֹ דָּוִד֙ וּשְׁתֵּ֣י נָשָׁ֔יו אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ת וַֽאֲבִיגַ֥יִל אֵֽשֶׁת־נָבָ֖ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית׃

English:

David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath, each with his family—David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְשָׁא֔וּל כִּֽי־בָרַ֥ח דָּוִ֖ד גַּ֑ת וְלֹא־[יָסַ֥ף] (יוסף) ע֖וֹד לְבַקְשֽׁוֹ׃ {ס}        

English:

And when Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he did not pursue him anymore.

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אָכִ֗ישׁ אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֣י מָק֗וֹם בְּאַחַ֛ת עָרֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְאֵ֣שְׁבָה שָּׁ֑ם וְלָ֨מָּה יֵשֵׁ֧ב עַבְדְּךָ֛ בְּעִ֥יר הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ׃

English:

David said to Achish, “If you please, let a place be granted me in one of the country towns where I can live; why should your servant remain with you in the royal city?”

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וַיִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ אָכִ֛ישׁ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא אֶת־צִֽקְלָ֑ג לָכֵ֞ן הָיְתָ֤ה צִֽקְלַג֙ לְמַלְכֵ��י יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ {פ}

English:

At that time Achish granted him Ziklag; that is how Ziklag came to belong to the kings of Judah, as is still the case.

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וַֽיְהִי֙ מִסְפַּ֣ר הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יָשַׁ֥ב דָּוִ֖ד בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים יָמִ֖ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה חֳדָשִֽׁים׃

English:

The length of time that David lived in Philistine territory was a year and four months.

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֤עַל דָּוִד֙ וַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו וַֽיִּפְשְׁט֛וּ אֶל־הַגְּשׁוּרִ֥י (והגרזי) [וְהַגִּזְרִ֖י] וְהָעֲמָלֵקִ֑י כִּ֣י הֵ֜נָּה יֹשְׁב֤וֹת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מֵעוֹלָ֔ם בּוֹאֲךָ֥ שׁ֖וּרָה וְעַד־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

English:

David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gizrites, and the Amalekites—who were the inhabitants of the region of Olam,aOlam Septuagint reads “Telam” (cf. “Telaim” in 15.4; and “Telem” in Josh. 15.24). all the way to Shur and to the land of Egypt.—

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

וְהִכָּ֤ה דָוִד֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יְחַיֶּ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְלָקַח֩ צֹ֨אן וּבָקָ֜ר וַחֲמֹרִ֤ים וּגְמַלִּים֙ וּבְגָדִ֔ים וַיָּ֖שׇׁב וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־אָכִֽישׁ׃

English:

When David attacked a region, he would leave no man or woman alive; he would take flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing. When he returned and camebcame Change of vocalization yields “brought it”; cf. v. 11. to Achish,

פסוק י״ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָכִ֔ישׁ אַל־פְּשַׁטְתֶּ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗ד עַל־נֶ֤גֶב יְהוּדָה֙ וְעַל־נֶ֣גֶב הַיְּרַחְמְאֵלִ֔י וְאֶל־נֶ֖��ֶב הַקֵּינִֽי׃

English:

Achish would ask, “WherecWhere So some mss. and Targum; Septuagint and 4QSamᵃ read “Whom.” did you raid today?” and David would reply, “The NegebdNegeb I.e., the part of the Negeb occupied by these clans. of Judah,” or “the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or “the Negeb of the Kenites.”

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וְאִ֨ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֜ה לֹא־יְחַיֶּ֣ה דָוִ֗ד לְהָבִ֥יא גַת֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פֶּן־יַגִּ֥דוּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־עָשָׂ֤ה דָוִד֙ וְכֹ֣ה מִשְׁפָּט֔וֹ כׇּ֨ל־הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֖ב בִּשְׂדֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

English:

David would leave no man or woman alive to be brought to Gath; for he thought, “They might tell about us: David did this.” Such was his practice as long as he stayed in the territory of the Philistines.

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

וַיַּאֲמֵ֥ן אָכִ֖ישׁ בְּדָוִ֣ד לֵאמֹ֑ר הַבְאֵ֤שׁ הִבְאִישׁ֙ בְּעַמּ֣וֹ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהָ֥יָה לִ֖י לְעֶ֥בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃ {פ}

English:

Achish trusted David. He thought: “He has aroused the wrath ofeHe has aroused the wrath of Cf. note at 13.4. his own people Israel, and so he will be my vassal forever.”

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