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David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
1 Samuel 27:2 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
  • BSB So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.
  • NKJV Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
  • NASB So David set out and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
  • NLT So David took his 600 men and went over and joined Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

David and his six hundred men go over to Achish, king of Gath. He seeks refuge among Israel's enemies to escape Saul.

Overview

David leads his band to the Philistine city of Gath, Goliath's hometown, placing himself under King Achish. The move secures temporary safety but entangles David with Israel's foes. The narrative will show God's providence overruling David's compromise, preserving him despite his divided and dangerous position.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 4

  • 1 Sam 25:13David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage.
  • 1 Sam 21:10David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
  • 1 Kgs 2:39–40At the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.”
  • 1 Sam 30:8David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you will surely overtake them, and will without fail recover all.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 27:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 27:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.