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

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. 2And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3And 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.

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

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• in his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• I shall now perishסָפָהsâphâh · to snatchH5595
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• by the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• nothing betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• for me than thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
• I should speedilyמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• shall despairיָאַשׁyâ'ash · to despairH2976
• of me, to seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• me any more in any coastגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: boundaryH1366
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 27:1

• 1 Samuel 16:1And Yhwh said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
• 1 Samuel 23:17And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
• 1 Samuel 25:30And it shall come to pass, when Yhwh shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;
• Psalms 116:11I said in my haste, All men are liars.
• Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
• Isaiah 40:27Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Yhwh, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
• Isaiah 51:12I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
• Mark 4:40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
• 2 Corinthians 7:5For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
• 1 Samuel 22:5And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
• Exodus 14:12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
• Numbers 14:3And wherefore hath Yhwh brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
• Proverbs 3:5Trust in Yhwh with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
• Isaiah 30:15For thus saith the Lord Yhwh, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
• Lamentations 3:26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yhwh.
• 1 Samuel 27:10And 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.

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