1 Samuel 27 Study Notes: David Settles at Ziklag
Fearing Saul would eventually kill him, David takes his band of six hundred and their families into Philistine territory under Achish, king of Gath. Achish gives him the town of Ziklag, and David raids Israel's enemies while telling Achish he has attacked Judah, so Achish comes to trust him.
General
What did David ask of Achish, and what was the result (1 Samuel 27:5-6)?
Answer: A home in an outlying town, and Achish granted Ziklag
David asked Achish, the king of the Philistine city of Gath, to let him settle in a country town rather than stay in the king’s own city (27:5). Achish handed Ziklag over to him that same day, and the narrator adds that Ziklag has remained in the hands of Judah’s kings ever since (27:6). Ziklag had been listed among Judah’s towns in Joshua’s day (Joshua 15:31; 19:5), and later Chronicles remembers it as the place where warriors came to join David during his banishment from Saul (1 Chronicles 12:1). This was a settled home for David, his men and their families (27:3).
- 1 Samuel 27:5-6 (BSB)“Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.”David asks for a place in an outlying town, and Achish gives him Ziklag.
- Joshua 15:31 (BSB)“Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,”Ziklag appears in Joshua’s list of towns allotted to Judah.
- Joshua 19:5 (BSB)“Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,”Ziklag is also listed among the towns given to Simeon within Judah’s territory.
- 1 Chronicles 12:1 (BSB)“Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle;”Chronicles remembers Ziklag as the place where mighty men joined David while he was banished from Saul.
Theological
What request did David make of Achish, and how did Achish respond (1 Samuel 27:5-6)?
Answer: A home in an outlying town, and Achish granted Ziklag
David requested a residence in a provincial town instead of the royal city, and Achish granted him Ziklag that day (27:5-6). The narrator’s note that Ziklag has remained in the hands of Judah’s kings ever since ties the episode to the future Davidic monarchy. Ziklag had been assigned within Judah’s allotment, and to Simeon within it (Joshua 15:31; 19:5), and Chronicles recalls it as the base where mighty men rallied to David during his banishment (1 Chronicles 12:1). Here David settles under Achish with his men and their households (27:3).
- 1 Samuel 27:5-6 (BSB)“Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.”David asks for a place in an outlying town, and Achish gives him Ziklag.
- Joshua 15:31 (BSB)“Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,”Ziklag appears in Joshua’s list of towns allotted to Judah.
- Joshua 19:5 (BSB)“Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,”Ziklag is also listed among the towns given to Simeon within Judah’s territory.
- 1 Chronicles 12:1 (BSB)“Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle;”Chronicles remembers Ziklag as the place where mighty men joined David while he was banished from Saul.
General
What did Achish come to believe about David as a result of these reports (1 Samuel 27:12)?
Answer: That David had made Israel hate him and would serve Achish for good
Achish believed David’s reports. He thought David had made himself hated by his own people Israel, so he would have no choice but to remain Achish’s servant for life (27:12). Achish was wrong on both counts: David had not been raiding Israel, and he would not serve the Philistines forever. The LORD directs even the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1), and this misplaced trust kept David safe in Philistine territory. Yet David’s own words had shown how painful it was to be cut off from Israel (26:19), and the next chapters show the trap this trust creates when Achish calls David to fight against Israel.
- 1 Samuel 27:12 (BSB)“So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.””Achish trusts David, thinking David has made himself hated by Israel and will serve him permanently.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the hearts of kings, including a Philistine king’s misplaced confidence.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 (BSB)“Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”David himself had felt that being driven out of Israel had cut him off from the LORD’s inheritance.
Theological
What conclusion did Achish draw about David’s standing with Israel (1 Samuel 27:12)?
Answer: That David had made Israel hate him and would serve Achish for good
Achish took David’s reports at face value and concluded that David had made himself odious to Israel and was therefore bound to him permanently (27:12). Both premises were false: David had not attacked Judah, and his future lay with Israel, not Gath. The LORD rules the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1), and Achish’s misplaced confidence preserved David for the time. But David had already lamented exile from the LORD’s inheritance (26:19), and Achish’s trust sets up the dilemma of chapters 28 and 29, when David is summoned to march against Israel.
- 1 Samuel 27:12 (BSB)“So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.””Achish trusts David, thinking David has made himself hated by Israel and will serve him permanently.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs the hearts of kings, including a Philistine king’s misplaced confidence.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 (BSB)“Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”David himself had felt that being driven out of Israel had cut him off from the LORD’s inheritance.
General
After sparing Saul a second time, what did David conclude in his own heart (1 Samuel 27:1)?
Answer: Saul would one day kill him, so he should flee to Philistia
Right after the second time David spared Saul (chapter 26), David talks to himself and decides that sooner or later Saul will kill him. He concludes that his best course is to slip away into Philistine territory, among Israel’s enemies, so that Saul will give up hunting him (27:1). The text reports David’s reasoning without praising it. Earlier, Jonathan had told him Saul would never touch him and that he would be king (23:17), and Abigail had spoken of the LORD keeping his life safe (25:28-29). David had also just grieved that being driven from Israel cut him off from the LORD’s inheritance (26:19). Yet here he moves to Philistine land.
- 1 Samuel 27:1 (BSB)“David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.””David reasons with himself that Saul will eventually kill him and decides to escape to Philistine territory.
- 1 Samuel 23:17 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.””Jonathan had assured David that Saul would never lay a hand on him and that David would be king.
- 1 Samuel 25:28-29 (BSB)“Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live. And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.”Abigail had spoken of the LORD keeping David’s life secure and making him a lasting dynasty.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 (BSB)“Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”Just before this, David lamented that being driven out of Israel cut him off from the LORD’s inheritance.
Theological
What reasoning does David voice to himself before going over to the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:1)?
Answer: Saul would one day kill him, so he should flee to Philistia
Immediately after the second sparing of Saul (chapter 26), David reasons privately that Saul will eventually destroy him and that escape into Philistine territory is his best option, since Saul would then stop searching for him (27:1). The narrator records this calculation without commending it. It sits awkwardly beside the assurances David had received: Jonathan’s word that Saul would never touch him and that David would reign (23:17), and Abigail’s confidence that the LORD would keep his life bound up securely (25:28-29). David had also just lamented that exile from Israel cut him off from the LORD’s inheritance (26:19). David now takes that very step.
- 1 Samuel 27:1 (BSB)“David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.””David reasons with himself that Saul will eventually kill him and decides to escape to Philistine territory.
- 1 Samuel 23:17 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.””Jonathan had assured David that Saul would never lay a hand on him and that David would be king.
- 1 Samuel 25:28-29 (BSB)“Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live. And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.”Abigail had spoken of the LORD keeping David’s life secure and making him a lasting dynasty.
- 1 Samuel 26:19 (BSB)“Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’”Just before this, David lamented that being driven out of Israel cut him off from the LORD’s inheritance.
General
While living at Ziklag, whom did David actually raid, and what did he tell Achish (1 Samuel 27:8-10)?
Answer: He raided Geshurites and Amalekites but claimed to raid Judah’s south
From Ziklag, David’s band attacked three peoples, among them the Geshurites and the Amalekites, living out toward Shur and Egypt (27:8). The Amalekites were Israel’s old enemies, whom the LORD had said He would wipe out (Exodus 17:14; 1 Samuel 15:2-3). When Achish asked where he had been, David named parts of the Negev, the dry south, connected with Judah (27:10). He left no one alive in these raids, and the text gives his reason: so that no one could come to Gath and report what he was really doing (27:11). The narrator reports this deception without approving it. It is told as part of David’s story, not held up as an example to follow.
- 1 Samuel 27:8 (BSB)“Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)”David raids peoples living toward Shur and Egypt, including the Amalekites.
- 1 Samuel 27:10-11 (BSB)“who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.”David tells Achish he has raided parts of Judah’s south and leaves no survivors to report the truth.
- Exodus 17:14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.””The LORD had declared that He would blot out the memory of Amalek, Israel’s long-standing enemy.
- 1 Samuel 15:2-3 (BSB)“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them on their way up from Egypt. Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’””The LORD had earlier commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites for what they did to Israel.
Theological
What does the narrator record about David’s raids from Ziklag and the reports he gave Achish (1 Samuel 27:8-10)?
Answer: He raided Geshurites and Amalekites but claimed to raid Judah’s south
David’s raids targeted the Geshurites, Girzites and Amalekites in the region toward Shur and Egypt (27:8), the Amalekites being the people the LORD had marked for destruction (Exodus 17:14; 1 Samuel 15:2-3). To Achish, however, he reported raids in the Negev regions of Judah, the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites (27:10). The text states his reason for leaving no survivors: none would be left to carry word to Gath of his real activity (27:11). The narrator records the deception without endorsing it; like David’s earlier lie at Nob (21:2), it belongs to the honest account of a flawed man, not to the pattern believers are meant to copy.
- 1 Samuel 27:8 (BSB)“Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)”David raids peoples living toward Shur and Egypt, including the Amalekites.
- 1 Samuel 27:10-11 (BSB)“who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.”David tells Achish he has raided parts of Judah’s south and leaves no survivors to report the truth.
- Exodus 17:14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.””The LORD had declared that He would blot out the memory of Amalek, Israel’s long-standing enemy.
- 1 Samuel 15:2-3 (BSB)“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them on their way up from Egypt. Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’””The LORD had earlier commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites for what they did to Israel.
General
True or False: Once Saul heard that David had gone to Gath, he kept on hunting him there.
Answer: False
This is false. When word reached Saul that David was now in Gath, the Philistine city ruled by King Achish, he stopped searching for him (27:4). David’s plan to get out of Saul’s reach worked in that sense: the long pursuit of chapters 19 to 26 comes to an end. The chase ends, but David’s life is still in the LORD’s hands, as David himself had prayed (26:24), and God’s purpose for him would stand (Proverbs 19:21).
- 1 Samuel 27:4 (BSB)“And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.”Once Saul hears David has gone to Gath, he no longer pursues him.
- 1 Samuel 26:24 (BSB)“As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and rescue me from all trouble.””David had asked the LORD to value his life and rescue him from all trouble.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”People make their plans, but the LORD’s purpose stands, including His purpose to preserve David.
Theological
True or False: Saul continued his pursuit of David after hearing that David had gone over to Gath.
Answer: False
This is false. Hearing that David was in Gath, Saul abandoned the search (27:4). The pursuit that had run from chapter 19 through chapter 26 thus ends, just as David had calculated (27:1). David’s preservation remains the LORD’s work, as he himself had prayed (26:24), and the LORD’s purpose for His anointed would prevail over every human plan (Proverbs 19:21).
- 1 Samuel 27:4 (BSB)“And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.”Once Saul hears David has gone to Gath, he no longer pursues him.
- 1 Samuel 26:24 (BSB)“As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and rescue me from all trouble.””David had asked the LORD to value his life and rescue him from all trouble.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”People make their plans, but the LORD’s purpose stands, including His purpose to preserve David.