1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.
9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.
10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
<html><b>Now I might perish one day.</b> Perhaps he will ambush me and suddenly attack me.1<i class=“footnote”>Dovid did not trust Shaul and was convinced that he was laying a trap for him by asking him to remain.—Metzudas Dovid</i></html>
<html><b>Why should your servant remain…</b> And be a burden to you.2<i class=“footnote”>Probably, Dovid did not want to live with idolaters and therefore asked in a diplomatic fashion, e.g., ‘Why should your servant be a burden to you,’ to settle in a separate city.</i></html>
<html><b>Days and four months.</b> The minimum [number] of days is two. It is impossible to explain this word, '<span>יָמִים</span>' as a year3<i class=“footnote”>As we find <span>יָמִים</span> to mean ‘year’ in Bereishis 41:1.</i> because Dovid did not go to Achish until Shmuel had died, and Shaul only reigned after Shmuel's death4<i class=“footnote”>Therefore <span>יָמִים</span> is to be taken literally, i.e., days.</i> four months, as we learned in Seder Olam. Also [this can be deduced from the following:] the number of Eili's years [forty years which he judged Yisroel],5<i class=“footnote”>Above 4:18.</i> and the twenty years that the Ark was in Kiryas Ye'arim6<i class=“footnote”>Above 7:2.</i> total sixty years. Subtract from that Shmuel's fifty-two years, plus one year from his conception, with these four months, plus the seven years which Dovid reigned in Chevron7<i class=“footnote”>II Shmuel 2:5.</i> before he brought the Ark from Kiryas Ye'arim. This [calculation] discloses that Shaul reigned after Shmuel's death but four months.</html>
<html><b>Dovid…would go up.</b> This is the present tense, i.e., he was always accustomed doing this. <b>In the direction of Shur.</b> From the entrance of Shur.</html>
<html><b>Where did you raid.</b> The '<span>ל</span>' is interchangeable with a '<span>נ</span>' [so the word <span>אֶל</span>=<span>אָן</span> which means 'where'], as in “he prepared a large chamber [<span>נִשְׁכָּה</span>],”8<i class=“footnote”>Nechemyoh 13:7.</i> in the Book of Ezra, meaning the equivalent of <span>לִשְׁכָּה</span> [=chamber].</html>