Tree of Life Version
1 Samuel 27:1
1Then David said in his heart, “One day I’ll be swept away by the hand of Saul. There’s nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me in all the territories of Israel, so I’ll escape from his hand.”
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 in his heart, “One day I’ll be swept away by the hand of Saul. There’s nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me in all the territories of Israel, so I’ll escape from his hand.” 2So David rose and crossed over, he and the 600 men that were with him, to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3David stayed with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives—Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow.
Read all of 1 Samuel 271 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- 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 16:1Now Adonai said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite, for I have selected for Myself a king among his sons.”
- 1 Samuel 23:17“Don’t be afraid,” he said to him, “because my father Saul will never find you. You will be king over Israel and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul recognizes that.”
- 1 Samuel 25:30“So when Adonai has fulfilled for my lord all the good things that He had spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel,
- Psalms 116:11even when I said in my haste, “All men are liars.”
- Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
- Isaiah 40:27Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from Adonai, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
- Isaiah 51:12“I, I am the One who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear man, who dies, or a son of man, who is given up like grass?”
- Mark 4:40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Even now you have no faith?”
- 2 Corinthians 7:5For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest. But we were hard pressed on every side—conflicts outside, fears within.
- 1 Samuel 22:5But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
- Exodus 14:12Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone, so that we may serve the Egyptians?’ It was better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”
- Numbers 14:3Why is Adonai bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be like plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”
- Proverbs 3:5Trust in Adonai with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.
- Isaiah 30:15For thus says Adonai Elohim, the Holy One of Israel: “By repentance and rest you are saved, in quietness and trust is your strength— but you were not willing.”
- Lamentations 3:26It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of Adonai.
- 1 Samuel 27:10Achish would ask, “Where have you raided today?” So David would reply, “Against the Negev of Judah, against the Negev of the Jerahmeelite 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
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
Tree of Life Version — © 2015 The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Commentaries