What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 27:10? Who would ask him? Achish, king of Gath, had given David the Philistine stronghold of Ziklag as a base (1 Samuel 27:5-6). Each evening Achish “would ask him,” because David had pledged fealty and was expected to supply reports of his military activity. Achish assumed David was now raiding Israelites, severing all hope of reconciliation with Saul. David’s deceptive answers fed that assumption, protecting his true mission. Compare the way Pharaoh expected regular updates from Joseph in Genesis 41:16, and note Proverbs 12:22—“Lying lips are detestable to the LORD.” “What have you raided today?” The Philistine king’s question implies a routine: David was constantly on the move, fighting somewhere daily. Achish took comfort in that rhythm, believing it benefited Philistine security. Yet David’s pattern echoes Israel’s own wilderness campaigns (Numbers 21:1-3). The verse underscores how God can employ even an enemy’s curiosity to shield His servant. The Negev of Judah David’s first answer sounds like he attacked his own tribe’s southern settlements. Achish would conclude David’s bridge to Israel was burned. In reality David struck Amalekite outposts (1 Samuel 27:8-9), enemies God had earlier marked for destruction (Exodus 17:14-16). By naming “Judah,” David masked obedience to God’s longstanding command while maintaining Achish’s trust. Similar protective misdirection appears when Rahab hid the spies in Joshua 2:4-7. The Negev of Jerahmeel Jerahmeelites were a clan within Judah (1 Chronicles 2:9, 25-26). Claiming to raid them deepened the illusion of David’s alienation from every branch of Israel. Meanwhile, wiping out Amalekites fulfilled 1 Samuel 15:2-3, which Saul had neglected. David’s report, though false in detail, advanced divine justice by eliminating those who preyed on Israel (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). The Negev of the Kenites The Kenites had lived peaceably with Israel since showing kindness to Moses (Numbers 10:29-32; Judges 1:16). Telling Achish he attacked them sounded like treachery to the very allies who had aided Israel early on. Again, the ruse convinced Achish David could never return home. God used David’s strategy to keep his forces hidden and unharmed, paralleling how Christ later moved in secrecy until “His hour had come” (John 7:6-10). summary In 1 Samuel 27:10 David offers calculated, misleading answers to Achish’s nightly inquiry. Each claimed target—Judah, Jerahmeel, Kenites—strengthened the lie that David had turned on his own people. In truth he was striking Israel’s historic enemies, fulfilling God’s directives and preserving his band. The verse shows how the Lord can sovereignly employ even imperfect tactics to protect His anointed and advance His purposes, while also warning that deceit, though temporarily expedient, carries moral weight before God. |
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