Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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F I R S T   S A M U E L

CHAP. XXIX.

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How Saul, who was forsaken of God, when he was in a strait was more and

more perplexed and embarrassed with his own counsels, we read in the

foregoing chapter. In this chapter we find how David, who kept close to

God, when he was in a strait was extricated and brought off by the

providence of God, without any contrivance of his own. We have him,

I. Marching with the Philistines,

ver. 1, 2.

II. Excepted against by the lords of the Philistines,

ver. 3-5.

III. Happily dismissed by Achish from that service which did so ill

become him, and which yet he knew not how to decline,

ver. 6-11.

David with the Philistines.	B. C. 1055.

     

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to

Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in

Jezreel.

  2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and

by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward

with Achish.

  3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these

Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the

Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of

Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I

have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?

  4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and

the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow

return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast

appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in

the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he

reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the

heads of these men?

  5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in

dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten

thousands?

     

Here is,

I. The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he himself

was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of

any project of his own to get clear of it. The two armies of the

Philistines and the Israelites were encamped and ready to engage,

v. 1.

Achish, who had been kind to David, had obliged him to come himself and

bring the forces he had into his service. David came accordingly, and,

upon a review of the army, was found with Achish, in the post assigned

him in the rear,

v. 2.

Now,

1. If, when the armies engaged, he should retire, and quit his post, he

would fall under the indelible reproach, not only of cowardice and

treachery, but of base ingratitude to Achish, who had been his

protector and benefactor and had reposed a confidence in him, and from

whom he had received a very honourable commission. Such an

unprincipled thing as this he could by no means persuade himself to do.

2. If he should, as was expected from him, fight for the Philistines

against Israel, he would incur the imputation of being an enemy to the

Israel of God and a traitor to his country, would make his own people

hate him, and unanimously oppose his coming to the crown, as unworthy

the name of an Israelite, much more the honour and trust of a king of

Israel, when he had fought against them under the banner of the

uncircumcised. If Saul should be killed (as it proved he was) in this

engagement, the fault would be laid at David’s door, as if he had

killed him. So that on each side there seemed to be both sin and

scandal. This was the strait he was in; and a great strait it was to a

good man, greater to see sin before him than to see trouble. Into this

strait he brought himself by his own unadvisedness, in quitting the

land of Judah, and going among the uncircumcised. It is strange if

those that associate themselves with wicked people, and grow intimate

with them, come off without guilt, or grief, or both. What he himself

proposed to do does not appear. Perhaps he designed to act only as

keeper to the king’s head, the post assigned him

(ch. xxviii. 2)

and not to do any thing offensively against Israel. But it would have

been very hard to come so near the brink of sin and not to fall in.

Therefore, though God might justly have left him in this difficulty, to

chastise him for his folly, yet, because his heart was upright with

him, he would not suffer him to be tempted above what he was able,

but with the temptation made a way for him to escape,
1 Cor. x. 13.

     

II. A door opened for his deliverance out of this strait. God inclined

the hearts of the princes of the Philistines to oppose his being

employed in the battle, and to insist upon his being dismissed. Thus

their enmity befriended him, when no friend he had was capable of doing

him such a kindness.

1. It was a proper question which they asked, upon the mustering of the

forces, “What do these Hebrews here?
v. 3.

What confidence can we put in them, or what service can we expect from

them?” A Hebrew is out of his place, and, if he has the spirit

of a Hebrew, is out of his element, when he is in the camp of

the Philistines, and deserves to be made uneasy there. David used to

hate the congregation of evil doers, however he came now to be

among them,

Ps. xxvi. 5.

It was an honourable testimony which Achish, on this occasion, gave to

David. He looked upon him as a refugee, that fled from a wrongful

prosecution in his own country, and had put himself under his

protection, whom therefore he was obliged, in justice, to take care of,

and thought he might in prudence employ; “for (says he) he has been

with me these days, or these years,” that is, a

considerable time, many days at his court and a year or two in his

country, and he never found any fault in him, nor saw any cause to

distrust his fidelity, or to think any other than that he had heartily

come over to him. By this it appears that David had conducted himself

with a great deal of caution, and had prudently concealed the affection

he still retained for his own people. We have need to walk in wisdom

towards those that are without, to keep our mouth when the wicked is

before us, and to be upon the reserve.

3. Yet the princes are peremptory in it, that he must be sent home;

and they give good reasons for their insisting on it.

(1.) Because he had been an old enemy to the Philistines; witness what

was sung in honour of his triumphs over them: Saul slew his

thousands, and David his ten thousands,
v. 5.

“It will be a reproach to us to harbour and trust so noted a destroyer

of our people; nor can it be thought that he will now act heartily

against Saul who then acted so vigorously with him and for him.” Who

would be fond of popular praise or applause when, even that may,

another time, be turned against a man to his reproach?

(2.) Because he might be a most dangerous enemy to them, and do them

more mischief then all Saul’s army could

(v. 4):

“He may in the battle be an adversary to us, and surprise us

with an attack in the rear, while their army charges us in the front;

and we have reason to think he will do so, that, by betraying us, he

may reconcile himself to his master. Who can trust a man who, besides

his affection to his country, will think it his interest to be false to

us?” It is dangerous to put confidence in a reconciled enemy.

David Leaves the Philistines.	B. C. 1055.

     

6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the

LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy

coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have

not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto

this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.

  7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease

not the lords of the Philistines.

  8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what

hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee

unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my

lord the king?

  9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art

good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes

of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the

battle.

  10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master’s

servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early

in the morning, and have light, depart.

  11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning,

to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines

went up to Jezreel.

     

If the reasons Achish had to trust David were stronger than the reasons

which the princes offered why they should distrust him (as I do not see

that, in policy, they were, for the princes were certainly in the

right), yet Achish was but one of five, though the chief, and the only

one that had the title of king; accordingly, in a council of war held

on this occasion, he was over-voted, and obliged to dismiss David,

though he was extremely fond of him. Kings cannot always do as they

would, nor have such as they would about them.

     

I. The discharge Achish gives him is very honourable, and not a final

discharge, but only from the present service.

1. He signifies the great pleasure and satisfaction he had taken in him

and in his conversation: Thou art good in my sight as an angel of

God,
v. 9.

Wise and good men will gain respect, wherever they go, from all that

know how to make a right estimate of persons and things, though of

different professions in religion. What Achish says of David, God, by

the prophet, says of the house of David

(Zech. xii. 8),

that it shall be as the angel of the Lord. But the former is a

court-compliment; the latter is a divine promise.

2. He gives him a testimonial of his good behaviour,

v. 6.

It is very full and in obliging terms: “Thou hast been upright,

and thy whole conduct has been good in my sight, and I have

not found evil in thee.” Saul would not have given him such a

testimonial, though he had done far more service to him than Achish.

God’s people should behave themselves always so inoffensively as if

possible to get the good word of all they have dealings with; and it is

a debt we owe to those who have acquitted themselves well to give them

the praise of it.

3. He lays all the blame of his dismission upon the princes, who would

by no means suffer him to continue in the camp. “The king loves thee

entirely, and would venture his life in thy hand; but the lords

favour thee not, and we must not disoblige them, nor can we oppose

them; therefore return and go in peace.” He had better part with

his favourite than occasion a disgust among his generals and a mutiny

in his army. Achish intimates a reason why they were uneasy. It was not

so much for David’s own sake as for the sake of his soldiers that

attended him, whom he calls his master’s servants (namely,

Saul’s),

v. 10.

They could trust him, but not them.

(4.) He orders him to be gone early, as soon as it was light

(v. 10),

to prevent their further resentments, and the jealousies they would

have been apt to conceive if he had lingered.

     

II. His reception of this discourse is very complimental; but, I fear,

not without some degree of dissimulation. “What?” says David, “must I

leave my lord the king, whom I am bound by office to protect,

just now when he is going to expose himself in the field? Why may not I

go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

v. 8.

He seemed anxious to serve him when he was at this juncture really

anxious to leave him, but he was not willing that Achish should know

that he was. No one knows how strong the temptation is to compliment

and dissemble which those are in that attend great men, and how hard it

is to avoid it.

     

III. God’s providence ordered it wisely and graciously for him. For,

besides that the snare was broken and he was delivered out of the

dilemma to which he was first reduced, it proved a happy hastening of

him to the relief of his own city, which sorely wanted him, though he

did not know it. Thus the disgrace which the lords of the Philistines

put upon him prove, in more ways than one, an advantage to him. The

steps of a good man ore ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his

way. What he does with us we know not now, but we shall know

hereafter, and shall see it was all for good.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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