27:1 David thought to himself,1 “One of these times I’m going to be swept away in death by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.”
27:2 So David arose and crossed over to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath, accompanied by six hundred men. 27:3 David settled with Achish in Gath, along with his men and their families.2 David had with him his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, widow of Nabal. 27:4 When Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he did not mount a new search for him.
27:5 David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let them give me a place in one of the cities of the field so that I can live there. Why should your servant settle in the royal city with you?”
27:6 So Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. For that reason Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this very day. 27:7 The length of time3 that David lived in the field of the Philistines was a year4 and four months.
27:8 Then David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. They had been living in that land for a long time, from where you come to Shur as far as the land of Egypt. 27:9 When David would strike the land, he would leave neither man nor woman alive. He would take sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and garments and would then go to Achish. 27:10 When Achish would ask, “Where5 did you raid today?” David would say, “The Negev of Judah” or “The Negev of Jeharmeel” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” 27:11 Neither man nor woman would David leave alive so as to bring them back to Gath. He was thinking, “This way they can’t tell on us, saying, ‘Here is what David did.’”
Such was his practice the entire time6 that he lived in the field of the Philistines. 27:12 So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself7 “He really stinks8 among his own people in9 Israel. From now on he will be my servant.”