📖 1 Samuel — Chapter 27 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
1 Samuel 27:1 RAnd David said in his heart, I shall now Tperish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
1 Samuel 27:2 And David arose, and he passed over with Rthe six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
1 Samuel 27:3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David Rwith his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
1 Samuel 27:4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and Rhe sought no more again for him.
1 Samuel 27:5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in Rsome town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?
1 Samuel 27:6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
1 Samuel 27:7 And RTthe time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was Ta full year and four months.
1 Samuel 27:8 And David and his men went up, and invaded Rthe Geshurites, and the TGezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.
1 Samuel 27:9 And David smote the land, and Rleft neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.
1 Samuel 27:10 And Achish said, TWhither have ye made a road to day? RAnd David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
1 Samuel 27:11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, RLest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 27:12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel RTutterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 27:1–4 — David seeks refuge with Achish
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
David concludes he will eventually die by Saul's hand and crosses to Gath with his company and their households. Saul stops searching when he learns of the move. The opening conclusion is David's thought, distinct from an instruction the LORD gives in this chapter.
Key Truth: Distinguish David's fearful reasoning from a revealed command of God.
Check What You Remember
1. How many men crossed with David? (1 Samuel 27:2)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:2 (KJV).
2. Which king received him? (1 Samuel 27:2)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:2 (KJV).
3. To which city did David flee? (1 Samuel 27:4)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:4 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 27:5–7 — Ziklag becomes David's base
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
David asks for a country town instead of remaining in the royal city. Achish gives him Ziklag, and the narrator notes its later connection with Judah's kings. The stay lasts a year and four months, making this a sustained arrangement rather than a brief visit.
Key Truth: Refuge in Philistine territory becomes a prolonged and consequential stay.
Check What You Remember
1. What town did Achish give David? (1 Samuel 27:6)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:6 (KJV).
2. How long did David stay in Philistine territory? (1 Samuel 27:7)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:7 (KJV).
3. To whose kings did Ziklag later pertain? (1 Samuel 27:6)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:6 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 27:8–12 — Raids and concealed allegiance
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
David raids neighboring peoples but tells Achish he has attacked southern Israelite territory. He leaves no survivors to report otherwise, and Achish believes he has alienated Israel. The text reports killing and deception without offering a direct divine command for this strategy.
Key Truth: Achish's confidence rests on a false account of David's actions.
Check What You Remember
1. Which people named in verse 8 also appear in the later Ziklag raid? (1 Samuel 27:8)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:8 (KJV).
2. Which southern territory did David claim to have raided first? (1 Samuel 27:10)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:10 (KJV).
3. Who believed David's reports? (1 Samuel 27:12)
Find it in 1 Samuel 27:12 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
1 Samuel 23:14 — God's earlier protection contrasts with David's fearful conclusion at this chapter's opening.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
What does David tell himself, and what does he tell Achish? Identify the source of each claim rather than treating both as God's word.
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. What fear motivates David’s move to Philistine territory?
2. What happens to Saul’s pursuit when he hears David is in Gath?
3. Why does David ask Achish for a country town?
4. How do David’s reported targets differ from the narrative’s actual targets?
5. Why does Achish believe David will remain his servant?
Notes
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