1 Samuel 27:1

1 Samuel 27:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”

Context of 1 Samuel 27:1

Then David said to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to safely escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” 2So David set out and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3And David lived with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his own household--David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.

1 Samuel 27:1 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־לִבּ֔וֹ עַתָּ֛ה אֶסָּפֶ֥ה יוֹם־אֶחָ֖ד בְּיַד־שָׁא֑וּל אֵֽין־לִ֨י ט֜וֹב כִּ֣י הִמָּלֵ֥ט אִמָּלֵ֣ט׀ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וְנוֹאַ֨שׁ מִמֶּ֤נִּי שָׁאוּל֙ לְבַקְשֵׁ֤נִי עוֹד֙ בְּכָל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְנִמְלַטְתִּ֖י מִיָּדֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• Then Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• himselfלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• Nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
• perishסָפָהsâphâh · to snatchH5595
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• by the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• Thereאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• for me thanכִּיkîy · forH3588
• to safelyמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• will despairיָאַשׁyâ'ash · to despairH2976
• of searchingבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• for me anymoreעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
• in allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the territoryגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: boundaryH1366
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 27:1

• 1 Samuel 16:1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.”
• 1 Samuel 23:17He said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel, and I will be second in command to you; and Saul my father knows that as well.”
• 1 Samuel 25:30And when the Lord does for my lord in accordance with all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel,
• Psalms 116:11I said in my alarm, “All people are liars.”
• Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
• Isaiah 40:27Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
• Isaiah 51:12“I, I Myself, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of mortal man, And of a son of man who is made like grass,
• Mark 4:40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
• 2 Corinthians 7:5For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts on the outside, fears inside.
• 1 Samuel 22:5But Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went into the forest of Hereth.
• Exodus 14:12Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”
• Numbers 14:3So why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”
• Proverbs 3:5Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
• Isaiah 30:15For this is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing,
• Lamentations 3:26It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 27:10Now Achish said, “Where did you carry out an attack today?” And David said, “Against the Negev of Judah, against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites, and against the Negev of the Kenites.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 27:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul - This was a very hasty conclusion: God had so often interposed in behalf of his life, that he was authorized to believe the reverse. God had hitherto confounded all Saul's stratagems, and it was not at all likely that he would now abandon him: there was now no additional reason why he should withdraw from David his helping hand.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1David retires to Gath. (1-7) David deceives Achish. (8-12) Verses 1-7 Unbelief is a sin that easily besets even good men, when without are fightings, and within are fears; and it is a hard matter to get over them. Lord, increase our faith! We may blush to think that the word of a Philistine should go further than the word of an Israelite, and that the city of Gath should be a place of refuge for a good man, when the cities of Israel refuse him a safe…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12David fled to the Philistines to get away from Saul for good. Rather than killing Saul, David chose the dangerous life of a fugitive.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-41Sa 27:1-4. Saul Hearing That David Was Fled to Gath, Seeks No More for Him. 1. David said in his heart, ... there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines--This resolution of David's was, in every respect, wrong: (1) It was removing him from the place where the divine oracle intimated him to remain (1Sa 22:5); (2) It was rushing into the idolatrous land, for driving him into which he had denounced an…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• David
• Israel
• Philistines
• Saul
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Paul, Saul
• Abimelech
• Achish
• Judah, Territory of

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings