1 Samuel 21:10-15

David At Gath. 1 Samuel 21:10-15

10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying,

Saul hath slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands?

12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

7.

Why did David flee to Philistia? 1 Samuel 21:10

David fled to Gath, the home of Goliath, where Achish was king. Achish was Saul's enemy. Saul was David's enemy. Achish and David had a common enemy in Saul. David must have thought that Achish would give him political asylum.

8.

Why did they call David a king? 1 Samuel 21:11

This Achish, king of Gath, is evidently the same one who was overlord of David in his later career. The servants and officers of Achish asked, Is not this David, king of the land? They called him king, not because his anointing and divine election were known to them, but on account of his victorious deeds, which had thrown Saul entirely into the shade. Whether they intended by these words to celebrate David as a hero, or to point him out to their prince as a dangerous man is sometimes debated; but David's actions indicate that they were considering doing him harm.

9.

What effect did these questions have on David? 1 Samuel 21:12-13

David pretended to be out of his mind. In their presence, he carried out all the acts of a maniac. When they tried to take him captive, he raved in their hands. In their houses, he scribbled on the doorposts. Wherever he was, he let the saliva run out of his mouth. By these acts, David caused Achish to wish to be rid of his company. From the assertion that the king made, some would imply that the members of the king's household were insane; but the obvious meaning is simply that the king did not relish the company of madmen, of whom plenty were to be had in his own land.