John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him , etc.] With Achish, for giving such a character of David, and taking his part, in order to detain him, if possible: and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, make this fellow return ; they speak of him with contempt, and insist on it that Achish order him to turn back, and go no further with them: that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him ; to Ziklag, the place that Achish had given him for his residence, ( 1 Samuel 27:6); they did not desire to have him sent to his own country, and to Saul, since should a reconciliation be made between them, he would be of great service to Saul against them: and let him not go down with us to battle ; into the valley of Jezreel, where the Israelites had pitched: lest in the battle he be an adversary to us : and fall upon them behind, being in the rear, while they were engaging in the front with Israel: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master ? to Saul he had offended, and fled from: [should it] not [be] with the heads of these men ? the Philistines; or unless by the heads of these men f552 ; he had no other way of making his peace with his master but by cutting off the heads of the Philistines; and therefore he was a dangerous man to take with them into the battle.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - David waited with a secret hope that the Lord would help him out of his difficulty. But he seems to have been influenced too much by the fea of man, in consenting to attend Achish. It is hard to come near to the brink of sin, and not to fall in. God inclined the princes of the Philistines to oppose David's being employed in the battle. Thus their dislike befriended him, when no friend could do him such a kindness.
Original Hebrew ויקצפו7107 עליו5921 שׂרי8269 פלשׁתים6430 ויאמרו559 לו שׂרי8269 פלשׁתים6430 השׁב7725 את853 האישׁ376 וישׁב7725 אל413 מקומו4725 אשׁר834 הפקדתו6485 שׁם8033 ולא3808 ירד3381 עמנו5973 במלחמה4421 ולא3808 יהיה1961 לנו לשׂטן7854 במלחמה4421 ובמה4100 יתרצה7521 זה2088 אל413 אדניו113 הלוא3808 בראשׁי7218 האנשׁים582 ההם׃1992
