1 Samuel 29:1

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

1 The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

1 Samuel 29:1 in Other Translations

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

1 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel.

1 The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel.

1 The Philistines mustered all their troops at Aphek. Meanwhile Israel had made camp at the spring at Jezreel.

1 The Philistines brought all their military units together at Aphek while Israel was camped by the spring in Jezreel.

1 Samuel 29:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 29:1

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to
Aphek
Not the city in the tribe of Judah of that name, ( Joshua 15:53 ) ; where the Philistines had a camp in the time of Samuel, ( 1 Samuel 4:1 ) ; but rather that in the tribe of Asher, ( Joshua 19:30 ) ; unless there was one of this name in the tribe of Issachar, not mentioned, since it seems to have been near Jezreel and Shunem, which were both in that tribe, ( Joshua 19:18 ) ;

and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel;
in the valley of Jezreel; of which (See Gill on Joshua 19:18) and (See Gill on Hosea 1:5).

1 Samuel 29:1 In-Context

1 The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.

3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?

5 Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: “ ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 28:1
• 2. Joshua 12:18; S 1 Samuel 4:1
• 3. Joshua 17:16; 1 Kings 18:45; 1 Kings 21:1,23; 2 Kings 9:30; Jeremiah 50:5; Hos 1:4,5,11; Hosea 2:22