1 Samuel 29 (GNV)

Chapter Text

29:1 So the Philistims were gathered together with all their armies in Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by the fountaine, which is in Izreel.

29:2 And the princes of the Philistims went foorth by hundreths and thousandes, but Dauid and his men came behinde with Achish.

29:3 Then saide the princes of the Philistims, What doe these Ebrewes here? And Achish said vnto the princes of the Philistims, Is not this Dauid the seruant of Saul the King of Israel, who hath bene with me these dayes, or these yeeres, and I haue found nothing in him, since he dwelt with me vnto this day?

29:4 But the princes of the Philistims were wroth with him, and the princes of the Philistims said vnto him, Sende this fellow backe, that he may goe againe to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not goe downe with vs to battell, least that in the battell he be an aduersarie to vs: for wherewith should he obteine the fauour of his master? shoulde it not be with the heades of these men?

29:5 Is not this Dauid, of whome they sang in daunces, saying, Saul slewe his thousande, and Dauid his ten thousande?

29:6 Then Achish called Dauid, and said vnto him, As the Lord liueth, thou hast bene vpright and good in my sight, when thou wentest out and in with mee in the hoste, neither haue I founde euill with thee, since thou camest to me vnto this day, but the princes doe not fauour thee.

29:7 Wherefore nowe returne, and go in peace, that thou displease not the princes of the Philistims.

29:8 And Dauid said vnto Achish, But what haue I done? and what hast thou founde in thy seruant as long as I haue bene with thee vnto this day, that I may not goe and fight against the enemies of my lorde the King?

29:9 Achish then answered, and said to Dauid, I knowe thou pleasest mee, as an Angell of God: but the princes of the Philistims haue saide, Let him not goe vp with vs to battell.

29:10 Wherefore now rise vp earely in the morning with thy masters seruants that are come with thee: and when ye be vp earely, assoone as ye haue light, depart.

29:11 So Dauid and his men rose vp earely to depart in the morning, and to returne into the lande of the Philistims: and the Philistims went vp to Izreel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "light", "philistims", "gathered", "together", "armies", "aphek", and "israelites". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "light", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local GNV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "called" and "light" carries the first interpretive weight. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "light" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.