The book of 1 Samuel Chapter 27 talks about how David dealt with his opposition. David felt that he was not safe around King Saul and that Saul may kill him one day. So he flew to the king of Gath, Achish, who welcomed him, and gave him a Ziklag to live in, where he lived for one year and four months.

Saul Stops Hunting David

But David said to himself, “One day I shall be killed by the hands of Saul. The wisest thing for me is to take refuge in the territory of the Philistines. Then King Saul will stop hunting me down throughout the land of Israel, and I will flee from him.” David and his men flew to Achish, the king of Gath. They all settled in the land of Gath with King Achish. When King Saul heard that David had fled to the land of Gath, he stopped hunting him.

David Asks for Land

David pleads with King Achish and asks for a place to live if he has found favor in the king’s eyes. He says that since he is simply a servant of the king, he does not deserve to live in the royal town, but rather a smaller and more modest area.

Achish felt the propriety of David’s proposal and thus appoints him a Ziklag on that day. David and his men lived in Philistine land for one year and four months. They looted the Girzites, the Geshurites, and the Amalekites. Whenever he raided a place, he would leave no one alive. He would take camels, donkeys, sheep, cattle and clothes.

David’s Looting

When David comes back to Achish, he asked David where he looted that day. David would respond with the appropriate answer, such as the Negeb of Judah or the Negeb of Kenites, or one of the other places that he and his men looted.

He saved neither a man nor a woman alive to be taken to Gath because he thought that they would tell others about what he had done to them. Such was David’s practice as long as he lived in the land of the Philistines.

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1 Samuel 27 (King James Version)

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.

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