1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountaine which is in Iezreel.
2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but Dauid and his men passed on in the rere-ward with Achish.
3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What doe these Hebrewes here? And Achish said vnto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this Dauid the seruant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath bene with me these dayes, or these yeeres, and I haue found no fault in him since he fell vnto me, vnto this day?
4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him, and the princes of the Philistines said vnto him, Make this fellow returne, that he may goe againe to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go downe with vs to battel, lest in the battell he be an aduersary to vs: for wherewith should hee reconcile himselfe vnto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
5 Is not this Dauid, of whom they sang one to another in daunces, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and Dauid his ten thousands?
6 ¶ Then Achish called Dauid, and said vnto him, Surely, as the Lord liueth, thou hast bene vpright, and thy going out and thy comming in with me in the hoste is good in my sight: for I haue not found euil in thee, since the day of thy comming vnto me vnto this day: neuertheles, the lords fauour thee not.
7 Wherefore now returne and goe in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.
8 ¶ And Dauid said vnto Achish, But what haue I done? and what hast thou found in thy seruant so long as I haue bene with thee vnto this day, that I may not goe fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
9 And Achish answered, and said to Dauid, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an Angel of God: notwithstanding the Princes of the Philistines haue said, Hee shall not goe vp with vs to the battell.
10 Wherfore now rise vp early in the morning, with thy masters seruants that are come with thee: and assoone as yee be vp early in the morning, and haue light, depart.
11 So Dauid and his men rose vp early to depart in the morning, to returne into the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went vp to Iezreel.
David objected to by the Philistines. (1-5) He is dismissed by Achish. (6-11)1-5 David waited with a secret hope that the Lord would help him out of his difficulty. But he seems to have been influenced too much by the fear of man, in consenting to attend Achish. It is hard to come near to the brink of sin, and not to fall in. God inclined the princes of the Philistines to oppose David's being employed in the battle. Thus their dislike befriended him, when no friend could do him such a kindness.
6-11 David scarcely ever had a greater deliverance than when dismissed from such insnaring service. God's people should always behave themselves so, as, if possible, to get the good word of all they have dealings with: and it is due to those who have acted well, to speak well of them.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.