1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21

Meyer - 1 Samuel 21:9 There is none like that; give it me What David said of the sword of Goliath we may say of Holy Scripture—the sword of the Spirit— “There is none like that.” There is no book like the Bible for those convinced of sin.— The Word of God assures the sinner of God’s love in Christ, whilst it refuses to condone a single sin, or excuse one shortcoming. The Bible is as stern as conscience herself against sin, but as pitiful as the heart of God to the sinner. It, moreover, discloses the method by which the just God becomes the justifier of those who believe. There is no book lake the Bible for the sorrowful.— It tells of the Comforter; it reminds us that in all our sorrow God also is sad; it points to the perfect plan according to which God is working out our blessedness; it insists that all things are working together for good; it opens the vision of the blessed future, where all the griefs and tears of men shall be put away forever. There is no book like the Bible for the dying.— “Read to me,” said Sir Walter Scott, on his dying bed, to his friend. “What shall I read?” “There is only one book for a dying man,” was the answer; “read to me from the Bible.” The Book which tells of the Lord, who died and rose again; of the mansions which He has gone to prepare; of the reunion of the saints; of the fountains of water of life— is the only pillow on which the dying head can rest softly. In these days of debate and doubt there is no such evidence for the Divine authority of the Bible as that which accrues from its perpetual use, whether in our own life, or in the conviction of the ungodly. Norman Geisler - go to page 151 in When Critics Ask - 1 SAMUEL 21:9—Was Goliath’s armor kept in David’s tent or in Nob? PROBLEM: In this text the sword of Goliath was located in Nob (cf. 1Sa 21:1). However, in 1 Samuel 17:54 it says David “put his [Goliath’s] armor in his tent.” SOLUTION: At first it was placed in his tent, but later it was taken to Nob. The two verses speak of different times. 1 Samuel 21:10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath. BGT 1 Samuel 21:11 (follows Hebrew numbering) καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ καὶ ἔφυγεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐκ προσώπου Σαουλ καὶ ἦλθεν Δαυιδ πρὸς Αγχους βασιλέα Γεθ LXE 1 Samuel 21:10 And he gave it him; and David arose, and fled in that day from he presence of Saul: and David came to Anchus king of Geth. KJV 1 Samuel 21:10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. NET 1 Samuel 21:10 So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath. CSB 1 Samuel 21:10 David fled that day from Saul's presence and went to King Achish of Gath. ESV 1 Samuel 21:10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. NIV 1 Samuel 21:10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. NLT 1 Samuel 21:10 So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. NRS 1 Samuel 21:10 David rose and fled that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath. NJB 1 Samuel 21:11 (follows Hebrew numbering) David journeyed on and that day fled out of Saul's reach, going to Achish king of Gath. NAB 1 Samuel 21:11 (follows Hebrew numbering) That same day David took to flight from Saul, going to Achish, king of Gath. YLT 1 Samuel 21:10 And David riseth and fleeth on that day from the face of Saul, and cometh in unto Achish king of Gath; GWN 1 Samuel 21:10 That day David left. He was still fleeing from Saul when he came to King Achish of Gath. fled: 1Sa 27:1 1Ki 19:3 Jer 26:21 Achish: or, Abimelech, 1Sa 27:2 Ps 34:1 *title 1 Samuel 21 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries INSTEAD OF FLEEING TO GOD HE FLEES TO GODLESS GATH! Then - The marks progression in the narrative. We might subtitle this section David "throws all caution to the wind" and even that is a euphemistic statement! Absolutely reckless, foolish and stupid might be more accurate designations! David's fleeing to Gath reminds us of the modern "witness protection program" as he was just trying to blend it, but that was not about to happen (recall David had an extra big sword)! Getz comments that "One sin led to another—then led to tragedy. David escaped because of his scheme, but in the process he caused the death of hundreds of innocent people. What a price to pay for disobedience and lack of trust in God!" (Borrow David: God's man in faith and failure) Brian Bell - Fear of Saul temporarily replaced faith in the Lord! Fear is always the enemy of Faith! But Fear is always the enemy of Faith! - To believe God, to rest in the Word, to enjoy the promises of God is to conquer our fear. a) No wonder when fear comes in the door, faith flies out the window! Here we have a good man in bad company! - Why did he go here? I hate to admit but sometimes a persecuted Christian gets better treatment from the enemies of God’s people than from his own Christian friends. It was the king of Judah who imprisoned Jeremiah & the king of Babylon who set him free! We glory in our wonderful gospel of love & mercy for the unsaved, but we usually act as if we have no gospel for the saint who has been tripped by the devil! John Davis - After David’s conversation with Jonathan it became apparent that to remain in Israel at this point would be most precarious Saul’s hatred and malice had reached such an intense level that David’s life and the life of his friends would be in severe danger if he remained in the reach of Saul. He fled southwest to the country of the Philistines and came to the city of Gath which was ruled by Achish. In Psalm 34, Achish is given the name Abimelech, which was probably the standing title of Philistine princes at Gath. Another explanation of the two names is that the Philistine name was Achish and the Semitic form of the name was Abimelech. The journey from Nob to Gath would have been a distance of about thirty miles. It is very doubtful that Saul would think of looking for David in a Philistine city. Also, David was rather well acquainted with the countryside, for it was there he had obtained the dowry for his wife by a victory over the Philistines. (Borrow Israel: from conquest to exile : a commentary on Joshua-2 Kings) David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath - David now head 30-35 miles southwest to Achish. Note that the TSK entry has Achish or Abimelech (the significance of which is discussed in following passages). See #5 on map above for city of Gath. Why Gath? Clearly that is not one place Saul would expect David would flee and certainly would not follow him there! But as the story unfolds we see that may not have been David's best choice. There is no word that he asked the LORD where he should flee next. What a picture - David has Goliath's sword ("none like it") and he is strolling into Goliath's hometown! What is David thinking at this point? Theodore Epp points out, "It was only about a year before this that David had slain the giant. Now he sought safety at the court of Achish and entered with Goliath's sword in his hand. If David had reason to fear for his life in the court of Saul, he had equal reason to fear in the court of Achish. David was reaping what he had sown in leaving the sanctuary provided by Samuel and letting fear plan his movements. Had David stayed with Samuel, no harm would have come to Ahimelech and his fellow priests. But David's presence among them, of which they were entirely innocent, proved to be their death warrant." Michael Andrus - Gath is a city, one of the five cities of the Philistines, so it is not wilderness in the ordinary sense of the term. But it is certainly a spiritual wilderness. David is looking for a place to survive, and he is counting on the old saying that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Since the Philistines are at war with Saul, and since Saul is trying to kill David, he is hopeful that the Philistines will accept him and provide him sanctuary. I see two trials here for David: fear and shame. He is genuinely afraid for his life, because he has been identified as an enemy and is in the custody of the ruthless Philistines. But then in order to escape he resorts to a shameful deception. There are times when we too will encounter the wilderness of fear, and perhaps even of shame. The fear may be caused by an enemy or by a circumstance that overwhelms us. We may be sidelined by the fear of the unknown, or maybe the fear of failure. And sometimes to escape from fear we will do shameful things. Forgetting that God is for us, we may choose to fight fear in our own power. I have counseled with young people who had such a fear of loneliness that they would violate every moral standard they held deeply just to obtain or keep a relationship. I know adults who have such a fear of poverty that they will do shameful things to gain financial security. And I know people of every age who have such a fear of being hurt that they will hide who they really are from everyone so that no one can ever love them deeply enough to hurt them. There is a Psalm David wrote at the time he was in the custody of the Philistines in Gath. I want you to turn to it with me–Psalm 56. The headings of the Psalms are very ancient, and in the absence of good evidence otherwise, I think we should assume they are historical. This one says that David wrote it “when the Philistines had seized him at Gath.” Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride. (Psalm 56:1-2+) That describes the situation, but then David gives the answer to fear, and it seems obvious that he has learned a lesson. He doesn't tell us, “When you find yourself in a fearful situation, act like an idiot as I did at Gath.” He now says, instead, When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid." What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4+) The appropriate response when facing the wilderness of fear and shame is to trust in God. Put your faith in His Word. Recognize that no mortal man can shave one day off your life, because your days were all numbered in God's book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16), and no one can guide or defend you like He can, because He is our light and our shield (Psalm 27: 1, 28:7). 1 Samuel 21:10-22:2 Master Of Redemption As I glanced through the mail, some words on a card from a charitable organization caught my eye: WE NEED YOUR DISCARDS! The meaning was straightforward and simple: Whatever you don't want, we'll take. Those household items you call rubbish, rejects, throwaways, and junk, we'll use to help people in need. While thinking about such a collection of castoffs, I recalled something I had read in the book of 1 Samuel. A company of desperate men gathered around an uncrowned king who was running for his life. The 400 men who joined David at the cave of Adullam were in distress, in debt, and discontented. Each one faced difficulty and discouragement. "So [David] became captain over them" (1 Samuel 22:2). In many ways, Christians are a collection of desperate people who have answered the invitation of Jesus: "Come to Me" (Matthew 11:28). By faith, we acknowledge Christ as our Captain, Savior, Leader, and Lord. We come as we are so that we can become what He wants us to be. Christ asks thee for nothing— Come just as thou art; Come sinful, come guilty, Come give Him thy heart. —Anon. Jesus came to save the lost, the last, and the least. Walking past my barn one day, I heard a frantic chirping inside. When I investigated, I found a poor blue jay beating its wings against the window. Had it not cried and chirped, I would not have heard, but its cry for help prompted me to come, open the door wide, and allow it to fly out to freedom. God's children get themselves into some unusual places and unhappy circumstances. Consider the following incidents: Jonah in a fish's belly, running from God (Jonah 2:1) David in enemy territory, acting insane (1Sa 21:10-15) Abram in Egypt, lying about his wife (Gen. 12:10-13) Lot in Sodom, living with the wicked (Ge 13:12,13) Elijah in the desert, wallowing in self-pity (1Ki. 19:4) Peter in a courtyard, denying his Lord (Lk 22:55-62) There is only One who knows All the answers to my woes; He will all my needs supply When in faith to Him I cry. --Morgan No place is beyond the reach of God's grace. 1 Samuel 21:11 But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?" BGT 1 Samuel 21:12 (follows Hebrew numbering) καὶ εἶπαν οἱ παῖδες Αγχους πρὸς αὐτόν οὐχὶ οὗτος Δαυιδ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς γῆς οὐχὶ τούτῳ ἐξῆρχον αἱ χορεύουσαι λέγουσαι ἐπάταξεν Σαουλ ἐν χιλιάσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ Δαυιδ ἐν μυριάσιν αὐτοῦ LXE 1 Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Anchus said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did not the dancing women begin the son to him, saying, Saul has smitten his thousand, and David his ten thousands? KJV 1 Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? NET 1 Samuel 21:11 The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying, 'Saul struck down his thousands, But David his tens of thousands'?" CSB 1 Samuel 21:11 But Achish's servants said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Don't they sing about him during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?" ESV 1 Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, 'Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" NIV 1 Samuel 21:11 But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: " 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" NLT 1 Samuel 21:11 But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. "Isn't this David, the king of the land?" they asked. "Isn't he the one the people honor with dances, singing, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" NRS 1 Samuel 21:11 The servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" NJB 1 Samuel 21:12 (follows Hebrew numbering) Achish's servants said to him, 'Is not this David, the king of the country? Was it not of him that they sang as they danced: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?' NAB 1 Samuel 21:12 (follows Hebrew numbering) But the servants of Achish said, "Is this not David, the king of the land? During their dances do they not sing, 'Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands'?" YLT 1 Samuel 21:11 and the servants of Achish say unto him, 'Is not this David king of the land? is it not of this one they sing in dances, saying, 'Saul smote among his thousands, and David among his myriads?' GWN 1 Samuel 21:11 Achish's officers asked, "Isn't this David, the king of his country? He's the one they used to sing about in the dances: 'Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands.'" the servants: Ps 56:1 *title the king: 1Sa 16:1 1Sa 18:7,8 1Sa 29:5 1 Samuel 21 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Samuel 18:7+ The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” 8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 1 Samuel 29:5 “Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” DAVID RECOGNIZED AS "PERSONA NON GRATA!" Persona non grata - In diplomacy, a persona non grata (Latin: "person not welcome", plural: personae non gratae) is a status applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection of diplomatic immunity from arrest and other types of prosecution. But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? - No flying under the radar for David! Fascinating that the pagans know that in fact this was the king in the wing, so to speak! And they recognized his face even in an era with "social media!" Were their "Wanted Poster" with David's picture plastered all around Philistia? Probably not, but regardless he was well known! And think about the sword David carried. It was undoubtedly bigger than a normal sword and would have even been difficult to conceal. But there is no evidence David attempted to conceal it. David clearly understood that he was recognized and had stirred up a veritable hornet's nest. Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?" - David's reputation as a mighty warrior had spread throughout the land (and all that without CNN, FOX or texting!) His "hit song" had played on the Philistine stations and was well known! THOUGHT - But wait a minute before you condemn David. Examine your own heart. Have you taken refuge from the dangers you've found in the path of God's will in the company of His enemies? Have you, as David did, feigned your behavior in order to escape the consequences of your failure to walk with God? Then from heaven's standpoint, you are behaving like a madman. Watch a Christian who has panicked in God's will, whose has allowed doubts and fears to overcome his faith and is running away from God. Listen to his conversation, so utterly irrational. How empty is his talk; how hollow his laughter; how tense his manner; how strained his countenance. Brian Bell - All he had left was his self-respect...well, until that was stripped away also when he faked insanity. a) What an undignified moment in the life of a man who had been anointed by the spirit of God! How utterly unworthy of his calling was his behavior! b) But, we can probably all think of a time where we panicked in God’s will & found ourselves acting like a complete fool! 2. From national hero to madman! a) From pats on the back, to looking over his back, because of the fear of getting stabbed in the back. Israel’s Most Wanted! 3. Now his enemies discarded him. Would God also abandon him? 4. It’s easy to lose 20-20 spiritual vision. Its easy to develop a spiritual squint, to see things in the wrong perspective, & to start to panic. But I’m glad the bible turns the key & opens the door to the inner shrine of this man’s life & shows us - A changed behavior but a fixed heart on God! - Whatever happened to David in Gath caused him to acknowledge the inadequacies of his own wisdom & brought him to a place where he again placed his confidence in the Lord. Ps.56 was his prayer for God’s help - Ps.34 was his hymn of praise. a) Ps.34 also shares that he did a lot of praying while in Gath. See Ps 34:4,6,15b,17,18. He learned that the fear of the Lord conquers every other fear! Oswald Chambers wrote that "the remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. Charles Swindoll - LOW TIDES Psalm 55 The smoky tones of Peggy Lee’s voice occasionally blow across my mind: “Is that all . . . is that all there is . . . ?” With no bitterness intended, I ask that haunting question in the backwash of certain situations. How much like the tide we are! When our spirits are high, we are flooded with optimism, hope, and expectation. But when low, our jagged barnacles of disappointment, discouragement, and disillusionment are exposed. We struggle to maintain an even keel as the rough winds jerk our sails. Like the pull of the sea, some of our low tides are almost predictable. Is that all . . . is that all there is to victory? Elijah asked that. And he was fresh off a great victory at Carmel! It’s hard to believe 1 Kings 18 and 19 are connected. Vulnerable and frightened, he suffered the low tide that often follows victory, perhaps the cruelest dart in the devil’s quiver. Is that all . . . is that all there is to vision? Paul asked that. Having taken gigantic strides into the vast regions of Asia, he was caught at low tide. He freely admits this to his friends at Corinth: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8). Is that all . . . is that all there is to valor? David asked that when, after proving himself a dedicated warrior, unmatched for bravery in Israel’s ranks, he was forced to flee from Saul. Reeling in fear and despair, David even disguised himself as insane before the king of Gath. The once-exalted warrior now “scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard” (1 Sam. 21:13). Low tide . . . how painful yet how essential. Without it, we cannot have high tide. Without it, there would be no need for Elishas to minister to victoryless Elijahs . . . no need for visionaries to fall in dependence on their faces before God . . . no need for the valiant to be reminded of their Source of strength. Is that all . . . is that all there is to low tides? No, there is more, much more, most of which can never be described . . . only discovered. When it seems like that’s all there is, remember all you have in Him. 1 Samuel 21:11-15 When I’m Afraid David fled from the home of the priests in Nob with Saul in hot pursuit. He made his way to Gath, the home of his enemies, where he was instantly recognized and brought before King Achish. David's fame was celebrated everywhere in story and song. He had slain thousands of Philistines (1 Samuel 21:11), a reputation established at the expense of bereaved Philistine women and children. Here was an opportunity to take revenge. David lost his nerve. In terror, he "pretended madness . . . , scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard" (v.13). Achish dismissed him with contempt: "Shall this fellow come into my house?" (v.15). Broken and utterly humiliated, David fled to Adullam in Judah. Close by was a hill honeycombed with caves. Into one of those holes he crept-alone. As he experienced the solitude of that cave, at the nadir of his life and surrounded by enemies, David began to reflect on God's tender, faithful love. "When I am afraid, I will trust in You," he wrote (Psalm 56:3). "You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle" (v.8). Perhaps you're "in a cave" today. You too can say, "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid" (v.11)—David H. Roper I have no reason to fear, For Jesus my Savior is near; I'll trust the Lord and His power To save and to keep me each hour. -Hess Loneliness is being unaware of the One who is with us everywhere. 1 Samuel 21:12 David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. BGT 1 Samuel 21:13 (follows Hebrew numbering) καὶ ἔθετο Δαυιδ τὰ ῥήματα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐφοβήθη σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου Αγχους βασιλέως Γεθ LXE 1 Samuel 21:12 And David laid up the words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Anchus king of Geth. KJV 1 Samuel 21:12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. NET 1 Samuel 21:12 David thought about what they said and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath. CSB 1 Samuel 21:12 David took this to heart and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath, ESV 1 Samuel 21:12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. NIV 1 Samuel 21:12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. NLT 1 Samuel 21:12 David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. NRS 1 Samuel 21:12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of King Achish of Gath. NJB 1 Samuel 21:13 (follows Hebrew numbering) David pondered on these words and became very frightened of Achish king of Gath. NAB 1 Samuel 21:13 (follows Hebrew numbering) David took note of these remarks and became very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath. YLT 1 Samuel 21:12 And David layeth these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish king of Gath, GWN 1 Samuel 21:12 When David realized what they had said, he was terrified of King Achish of Gath. took: Ps 119:11 Lu 2:19,51 greatly feared: 1Sa 21:10 Ge 12:11-13 26:7 Ps 34:4 56:3 1 Samuel 21 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries David took these words to heart - The picture is of David pondering what they were saying about him. His conclusion was that they were not likely to put out the welcome mat for him! And what town was David in? Gath, Goliath's home town! Do you think Goliath may have had a few surviving, seething relatives that would love to have David's head as a trophy on their walls? That's rhetorical of course. As an aside, one wonders where David had stored Goliath's head which would later make an appearance as David's trophy and memorial to Jehovah's victory? and greatly feared Achish king of Gath - As a result of thinking about the implications, David began to focus on the "big A" (Achish) and took his eyes off of his big God and God's will! The opposite of faith is fear. Fear is the result of being out of God's will! It appears David's faith sunk and his fear rose! Fear is always the enemy of faith in our lives. Here we see David's faith in God's protection being replaced by the fear of man and thus making a foolish trip to godless Gath! Remember that these are the first days of God's 10-12 year course of training David's faith in Him. And we don't see him quickly resorting to prayer as he does at later times of testing. But he is just beginning God's class on testing and adversity! One recalls his words to Jonathan in 1Sa 20:3 that "truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death.” Arthur