Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXIX.

Vers. 1. NOw the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek.] A town in the tribe of Asher, Josh. 19, 24, 30.

Vers. 2. But David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.] Though Achish was king of Gath onely (which was but one of the five principa∣lities of the Philistines,) yet it seems he was the chief among all the princes, and had therefore the honour of leading up the rereward, and that therein too, he had given the honour to David and his men of being as it were his own life guard, and therefore it is said, that they marched on with Achish in the rereward.

Vers. 3. Then said the princes of the Philistines, what do these Hebrews here.] This is not meant of those Lords that were subjects to Achish the king of Gath, (as is indeed evident by the roughnesse of their language, vers. 4. And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him, and the princes of the Philistines said un∣to him, make this fellow return. &c.) but of the princes of the other places of Pa∣lestina; for these all joyned their forces with Achish, in this invasion of the land of of Israel, the common sort had indeed as much cause to suspect Davids perfidious∣nesse, and to provide for their safety as the princes had; but the princes had a speci∣all spleen against him, because of the honour Achish had done him, and therefore they presently combined together to complain of him, and would have him re∣moved.

Is not this David the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these dayes, or these years, &c.] That is, or rather these years: for he had been with him a full yeare and foure moneths, which was a good part of another yeare, chap. 27.7. The time that David dwelt with the Philistines was a full yeare and foure moneths.

Vers. 26. Then Achish called David and said unto him, Surely as the Lord li∣veth, thou hast been upright, &c. In the Original it is, as Jehovah liveth; for in those times these idolatrous nations had a reverent opinion, not onely of their own peculiar gods, but of those also which they esteemed the gods of other nations; and so having so much knowledge of the God of the Hebrews, that they knew he was called Jehovah; Achish swore therefore As Jehovah liveth, perhaps the rather to

please David herewith: yea, it is probable that even amongst the heathen, that were aliens and strangers from the common-wealth of Israel, there were from former times some remainders of truth conveyed concerning God, which were still retained amongst them; as this of the name Jehovah, from whence no doubt came that name of Jupiter or Jove, which was in after times so rife amongst them.

Vers. 8. What hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee, unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my Lord the king?] David doubtlesse would not for his life have drawn his sword against the people of God; but yet that Achish and the Philistines might not be jealous of him, and so for the better assurance of his life amongst them, he was glad to put on a countenance, as if he had greatly desired to aid the Philistins against the Israelites, and as if it had troubled him much that he might not do it.

Vers. 10. Rise up early in the morning with thy masters servants that are come with thee.] That is, Sauls servants that are come with thee; and he calls them not Davids servants, but Sauls, his masters; to imply the ground of the jealousie of the Philistine Princes, to wit, the relation which they had to Saul, that they were his subjects, his servants, &c.

And assoon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.] Lest the lords of the Philistines should in their rage fall upon David, he adviseth him to make all the haste away that possibly he could: and this was all Achish intended in this his advice: But God had a further aim in it, for by this means he was not onely freed from the danger of being forced, either perfidiously to betray Achish who trusted in him, or else to fight against his brethren, but also hasted homeward that he might come in time to rescue the prey out of the hands of the Amalekites, which they had carried from Ziklag: as we see in the following chapter.