1 Samuel 27:12

1 Samuel 27:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
• New International Version (NIV)Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Achish trusted David, thinking, "He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”

Context of 1 Samuel 27:12

10When Achish would ask, “Where did you raid today?” David would say, “The Negev of Judah” or “The Negev of Jeharmeel” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” 11Neither 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, ‘This is what David did.’” Such was his practice the entire time that he lived in the country of the Philistines. So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself, “He is really hated among his own people in Israel! From now on he will be my servant.”

1 Samuel 27:12 word by word

וַיַּאֲמֵ֥ן אָכִ֖ישׁ בְּדָוִ֣ד לֵאמֹ֑ר הַבְאֵ֤שׁ הִבְאִישׁ֙ בְּעַמּ֣וֹ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהָ֥יָה לִ֖י לְעֶ֥בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Achishאָכִישׁ'âkîysh · AchishH397
• believedאָמַן'âman · be faithfulH539
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• He hath made his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• utterlyבָּאַשׁbâ'ash · to stinkH887
• him; therefore he shall be my servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 27:12

• 1 Samuel 13:4All Israel heard this message, “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
• Genesis 34:30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin on me by making me a foul odor among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 27:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12He hath made his people - utterly to abhor him - This deception, which Dr. Delaney says "did harm to nobody, and to the account of which he is at an utter loss what degree of guilt to charge," imposed upon Achish, had the most direct tendency to make him imagine himself secure, while in the utmost danger; and to have a faithful friend and able ally in David, while he was the veriest enemy he could possibly have. Shame on him who becomes the apologist of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-12Verses 8-12 While David was in the land of the Philistines, he attacked some remains of the devoted nations. The people whom he cut off were long before doomed to destruction. It is often wisdom to shun public notice, but we must in no situation be idle. We must always try to do somewhat in the cause of God. This expedition David hid from Achish. But an equivocation which serves the purpose of a lie, is as like to it as a hypocrite is to a profane person…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

Topics related to 1 Samuel 27:12

• David
• Falsehood
• Philistines

In the dictionaries

• David
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Achish
• Abhor
• Abimelech
• Alliance
• Palestine
• Philistines

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