Bible Commentaries

Verses 1-11

David Disallowed from Fighting with the Philistines

1. Jezreel] the plain between Gilboa and Little Hermon.

3. He fell unto me] i.e. ’deserted to me.’

4. An adversary] Heb. satan. Satan, the evil spirit, is always entitled ’the Satan,’ i.e. the Adversary (Job 1, 2; Zechariah 3:1).

6. As the lord liveth] Achish would recognise that Jehovah was the national god of Israel and that He existed as well as Dagon (cp. 1 Kings 17:12).

11. The Philistines went up to Jezreel] The Philistines could not attack Saul’s position on Mt. Gilboa from Shunem (1 Samuel 28:4), and accordingly they went round Jezreel to attack by the easier slopes there.