Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 29:4

And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? [should it] not [be] with the heads of these men?

4. this fellow ] Simply, “the man:” but below, “wherewith should this fellow make himself acceptable unto his master? should it not be with the heads of those men?” Pointing to the troops marching past.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 4. The princes of the Philistines were wroth] It is strange that they had not yet heard of David’s destruction of a village of the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites, 1Sa 27:8-9. Had they heard of this, they would have seen much more cause for suspicion.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Were wroth with him; were unsatisfied and offended with Achish for this intention and declaration.

Make this fellow return: herein the wise and gracious providence of God appeared, both in helping him out of those snares and difficulties, out of which no human wit could have extricated him, but he must either have been, or have been thought, to be a traitor, and an ungrateful, unworthy person either to the one or to the other side; and moreover in giving him the happy opportunity of recovering his own and his all from the Amalekites, which had been irrecoverably lost if he had gone into this battle. And the kindness of God to David was the greater, because it had been most just for God to have left David in all those distresses into which his own sinful counsel and course had brought him.

Of these men, i.e. of these our soldiers: they speak according to the rules of reason and true policy, for by this very course great enemies have sometimes been reconciled together.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

4. the princes of the Philistineswere wroth with himIt must be considered a happy circumstancein the overruling providence of God to rescue David out of thedangerous dilemma in which he was now placed. But David is not freefrom censure in his professions to Achish (1Sa29:8), to do what he probably had not the smallest purpose ofdoingof fighting with Achish against his enemies. It is just aninstance of the unhappy consequences into which a false stepadeparture from the straight course of dutywill betray everyone whocommits it.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him,…. With Achish, for giving such a character of David, and taking his part, in order to detain him, if possible:

and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, make this fellow return; they speak of him with contempt, and insist on it that Achish order him to turn back, and go no further with them:

that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him; to Ziklag, the place that Achish had given him for his residence, 1Sa 27:6; they did not desire to have him sent to his own country, and to Saul, since should a reconciliation be made between them, he would be of great service to Saul against them:

and let him not go down with us to battle; into the valley of Jezreel, where the Israelites had pitched:

lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: and fall upon them behind, being in the rear, while they were engaging in the front with Israel:

for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? to Saul he had offended, and fled from:

[should it] not [be] with the heads of these men? the Philistines; or unless by the heads of these men m; he had no other way of making his peace with his master but by cutting off the heads of the Philistines; and therefore he was a dangerous man to take with them into the battle.

m “nisi per capita”, Noldius, p. 257. No. 1147.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(4) Go down.This is a technical military expression, used constantly, on account of the necessity of the troops descending from the hill country in which they were encamped to the plain in order to fight.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

4. With the heads of these men When the princes uttered these words they meant, and probably pointed towards, the Philistine soldiers that stood around them.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1Sa 29:4. Make this fellow return The lords of the Philistines were suspicious of David’s purposes; and, instead of placing that confidence in him which Achish did, they insist upon his dismission. His pleasure must certainly have been great, to find himself extricated out of so delicate a situation as he had been in, where there might have been a struggle between his gratitude to his friend, and his love to his country; and in which he did not possibly know what part he had to act, or was bound to act.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

1Sa 29:4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? [should it] not [be] with the heads of these men?

Ver. 4. And the princes of the Philistines were wroth. ] Therefore it appeareth they were his fellow princes, of the four other Satrapies, since they thus roughly ruffle with him: as also did Achilles in Homer with Agamemnon, –

“ , , ”

– Iliad., lib. i.

Make this fellow return. ] A happy word for David, who was now in a great perplexity and peril, either of betraying his trust or fighting against his own people: neither of which he could have done with a good conscience. Here, therefore, God cut asunder this gordian knot, which David knew not how to untie. It would be ill with us sometimes, were it not for God’s good providence, and others’ malice.

Lest in the battle he be an adversary to us. ] As some others have been. 1Sa 14:21 He is but a reconciled enemy at best: and Reconciliationes sunt vulpinae amicitiae: he is not to be trusted. This was military prudence in these princes, though Achish had endeavoured to justify David against their jealousies.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

fellow. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14.

should . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

reconcile Or, make himself pleasing. (See Scofield “Dan 9:24”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

Make this fellow: The princes reasoned wisely, according to the common practice of mankind; and it was well for David that they were such good politicians: it was ordered by a gracious Providence that they refused to let David go with them to this battle, in which he must have been either an enemy to his country, or false to his friends and to his trust. Had he fought for the Philistines, he would have fought against God and his country; and had he in the battle gone over to the Israelites, he would have deceived and become a traitor to the hospitable Achish. God therefore delivered him from such disgrace; and by the same kind Providence he was sent back to rescue his wives, and the wives and children of his people, from captivity. 1Sa 14:21, 1Ch 12:19, Luk 16:8

Reciprocal: 1Sa 29:9 – the princes 2Sa 3:25 – and to know 1Ch 19:3 – but the princes Psa 56:1 – when

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1Sa 29:4. Make this fellow return to his place To Ziklag, which they were content he should possess. For wherewith should he reconcile, &c. Should it not be with the heads of these men? That is, of the Philistines. They reasoned wisely, according to the common maxims of prudence and true policy; for by such a course great enemies have sometimes been reconciled together. But the Divine Providence was no doubt concerned in suggesting these prudential considerations to their minds; for by this means David was delivered from that great strait and difficulty into which he had brought himself, and from which no human wisdom could have extricated him; either of being an enemy to, and fighting against his country, (as before observed,) or being false to his friend and to his trust. And, by the same providential incident, he was sent back time enough to recover his wives, and the wives and children of his men, and his all, from the Amalekites, which would have been irrecoverably lost if he had gone to this battle. And the kindness of God to David was the greater, because it would have been most just for God to have left him in those distresses into which his own sinful counsel had brought him.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

29:4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? [should it] not [be] with the {c} heads of these men?

(c) Would not Saul receive him to favour, if he would betray us?

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes