291 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek , while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel . 2 And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands , and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish . 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said , "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines , "Is this not David , the servant of Saul the king of Israel , who has been with me these days , or rather these years , and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day ?" 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man go back , that he may return to his place where e you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord ? Would it not be with the heads of these men ? 5 "Is this not David , of whom they sing in the dances , saying , 'Saul has slain his thousands , And David his ten thousands '?"
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 29:1-5
Commentary on 1 Samuel 29:1-5
(Read 1 Samuel 29:1-5)
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.