1 Samuel 27:5

1 Samuel 27:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
• New Living Translation (NLT)One day David said to Achish, “If it is all right with you, we would rather live in one of the country towns instead of here in the royal city.”

Context of 1 Samuel 27:5

3David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. 7David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

1 Samuel 27:5 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אָכִ֗ישׁ אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֣י מָק֗וֹם בְּאַחַ֛ת עָרֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְאֵ֣שְׁבָה שָּׁ֑ם וְלָ֨מָּה יֵשֵׁ֧ב עַבְדְּךָ֛ בְּעִ֥יר הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Achishאָכִישׁ'âkîysh · AchishH397
• If I have now foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• graceחֵןchên · favorH2580
• in thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• let them giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• me a placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• in someאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• townעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• in the countryשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• that I may dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• there: for why should thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• in the royalמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 27:5

• Genesis 46:34you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:17Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 27:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Why should thy servant dwell in the royal city - He seemed to intimate that two princely establishments in the same city were too many. Achish appears to have felt the propriety of his proposal, and therefore appoints him Ziklag.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5David, with characteristic Oriental subtlety (compare 1 Samuel 21:2), suggests as a reason for leaving Gath that his presence was burdensome and expensive to the king. His real motive was to be more out of the way of observation and control, so as to act the part of an enemy of Saul, without really lifting up his hand against him and his own countrymen of Israel.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. 55. let them give me a place in some town in the country--It was a prudent arrangement on the part of David; for it would prevent him being an object of jealous suspicion, or of mischievous plots among the Philistines. It would place his followers more beyond the risk of contamination by the idolatries of the court and capital; and it would give him an opportunity of making reprisals on the freebooting tribes that infested the common border of Israel and…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 27:5

• Cities
• Gath
• Philistines
• Ziklag

In the dictionaries

• David
• Royal City
• Achish
• Abimelech
• Alliance
• Negeb
• Royal
• Samuel, Books of
• Town
• Zebah and Zalmunna

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