The Philistines Reject David
1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2 The leaders of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.
3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What about these Hebrews?”
Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me all these days, or rather these years? I have found no fault in him since he fell away until today.”
4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and they said to him, “Make the man return and go back to his place where you have appointed him and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his lord but with the heads of these men? 5 Isn’t this David, of whom people sang to one another in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’ ”
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight, for I have not found evil in you since the day you came to me to this day. Nevertheless, the leaders do not favor you. 7 Therefore now return and go in peace, that you not displease the leaders of the Philistines.”
8 David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Achish answered David, “I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of the Lord. Nonetheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”
11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.