1 Samuel 29
Tyndale Open Study Notes 5 verses
1 Samuel 29:1
29:1-11 David was spared by divine providence from actually fighting against his own people.29:1 Aphek was the site of an earlier confrontation between Israel and the Philistines (4:1). • Jezreel was about forty miles northeast of Aphek.
1 Samuel 29:3
29:3 servant of King Saul: To Achish, David was a valued defector. The other Philistine rulers suspected that David was a plant, planning to mount an attack from within the Philistine defenses. • never found a single fault: This was the first of three times that Achish defended David (see also 29:6, 9). Yet David had been deceiving Achish the whole time (see 27:1-12).
1 Samuel 29:4
29:4 handing our heads over: The commanders’ fears were justified (cp. 17:51; 18:27).
1 Samuel 29:5
29:5 This jingle referred to slain Philistines (18:7). It is remarkable that David could find refuge in their midst.
1 Samuel 29:6
29:6 by the Lord: Achish used the unique name of Israel’s God to prove his own sincerity. • a trustworthy ally: This assertion was not completely true, though Achish did not realize it (27:8-12).