27:1 And David said in his heart, I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel, so I will escape out of his hand.
27:2 And David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 27:3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. 27:4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath and he sought no more again for him.
27:5 And David said to Achish, If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country that I may dwell there, and why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you? 27:6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. 27:7 And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
{1Sa 27:8-29:11; 1Ch 12:19; Psa 56}
27:8 And David and his men went up and made a raid upon the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites, because those nations were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old as you go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.
27:9 And David struck the land and saved neither man nor woman alive and took away the sheep and the oxen and the donkeys and the camels and the apparel and he returned and came to Achish.
27:10 And Achish said, Against whom have you* made a raid today?
And David said, Against the South of Judah and against the South of the Jerahmeelites and against the South of the Kenites.27:11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So David did and so his manner has been all the while he has dwelt in the country of the Philistines.
27:12 And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant everlasting.