📖 1 Samuel — Chapter 29 (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 29:1 Now Rthe Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
1 Samuel 29:2 And Rthe lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.
1 Samuel 29:3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me Rthese days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?
1 Samuel 29:4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, RMake this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
1 Samuel 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
1 Samuel 29:6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as Rthe LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless Tthe lords favour thee not.
1 Samuel 29:7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou RTdisplease not the lords of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 29:8 And David said unto Achish, RBut what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been Twith thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
1 Samuel 29:9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, Ras an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
1 Samuel 29:10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master’s servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
1 Samuel 29:11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. RAnd the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 29:1–5 — The Philistine princes reject David
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
David's company marches with Achish, but the other princes fear he will turn against them to regain Saul's favor. They remember the victory song. Their objection exposes the dangerous position created by David's refuge among Israel's enemies.
Key Truth: David's apparent place in the Philistine army is challenged by its own rulers.
Check What You Remember
1. Where did the Philistine armies gather? (1 Samuel 29:1)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:1 (KJV).
2. With which king did David march? (1 Samuel 29:2)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:2 (KJV).
3. Which song's figure for David's victories was recalled? (1 Samuel 29:5)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:5 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 29:6–9 — Achish sends David away
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Achish declares trust in David but yields to the other rulers' refusal. David questions the dismissal, and Achish repeats that the princes will not allow him to go. Achish's favorable opinion remains his assessment, not the narrator's guarantee that David's reports were truthful.
Key Truth: A ruler's trust can coexist with a mistaken understanding of the person he trusts.
Check What You Remember
1. Who said he had found no evil in David? (1 Samuel 29:6)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:6 (KJV).
2. How did Achish tell David to return? (1 Samuel 29:7)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:7 (KJV).
3. Who refused to let David join the battle? (1 Samuel 29:9)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:9 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 29:10–11 — Two companies go separate ways
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Achish directs David to leave at first light. David and his men return into Philistine territory while the army goes to Jezreel. This separation removes David from the battle that will end Saul's reign and leads into the crisis at Ziklag.
Key Truth: The dismissal separates David from the coming battle against Israel.
Check What You Remember
1. When was David instructed to rise? (1 Samuel 29:10)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:10 (KJV).
2. Where did David's men return? (1 Samuel 29:11)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:11 (KJV).
3. Where did the Philistine army go? (1 Samuel 29:11)
Find it in 1 Samuel 29:11 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
1 Samuel 27:12 — Achish's confidence is explained by David's earlier misleading reports.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
How does the princes' refusal change David's position before the battle? Keep Achish's opinion separate from facts already shown to the reader.
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. Why do the Philistine princes distrust David’s presence in battle?
2. How does Achish’s assessment differ from the princes’ decision?
3. Why is the remembered victory song relevant to their objection?
4. How does David answer the dismissal?
5. How does the ending separate David’s route from the army’s route?
Notes
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