John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And David said unto Achish , etc.] After he had been some time with him: if I have now found grace in thine eyes ; or was in favour, as he thought himself to be, by various instances of respect shown him: let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there : he does not ask for a city or town, but a place in one of them, though one was given him; but of whom he asks it, it is not easy to say; though it is certain that Achish gave it him, ( 1 Samuel 27:6). Perhaps he might desire it might be given him by Achish, with the consent of his princes and nobles, or at least of his privy council; that so it might be to general satisfaction, and the grant more authentic; though it may be impersonally read, as in the Vulgate Latin version, “let there be given me”, etc. David’s view in this might be partly to prevent the envy of the courtiers of Achish, who might think that David was too near the king, and might have too great an interest in him, and receive too many of his favours, and become his chief confidant and prime minister; and partly to preserve himself and people from all temptations to idolatry, and corruptions in religion; as also that ho might have an opportunity, without the knowledge of Achish, to fall upon the enemies of Israel; though the excuse he made was as follows: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee ? for so Gath was; and six hundred men and their families might seem to crowd the city; and this reasoning of his might suggest, that he and his men were a straitening of him, and a burden on him; and it might seem as if he was a rival with him in state and dignity, when he was no other than a servant of his.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Unbelief is a sin that easily besets even good men, when without ar fightings, and within are fears; and it is a hard matter to get ove them. Lord, increase our faith! We may blush to think that the word of a Philistine should go further than the word of an Israelite, and tha the city of Gath should be a place of refuge for a good man, when the cities of Israel refuse him a safe abode. David gained a comfortabl settlement, not only at a distance from Gath, but bordering upo Israel, where he might keep up a correspondence with his ow countrymen.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 דוד1732 אל413 אכישׁ397 אם518 נא4994 מצאתי4672 חן2580 בעיניך5869 יתנו5414 לי מקום4725 באחת259 ערי5892 השׂדה7704 ואשׁבה3427 שׁם8033 ולמה4100 ישׁב3427 עבדך5650 בעיר5892 הממלכה4467 עמך׃5973
