Then said the princes of the Philistines, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he deserted unto me unto this day?
All Commentaries on 1 Samuel 29:3 Go To 1 Samuel 29
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Know David. It seems they were not unacquainted with him, since they knew that Achis had given him a place, (ver. 4,) or city. (Haydock)
But they prudently judged that it would be very hazardous to employ him on this occasion. Providence thus brought him honourably out of the scrape, as he could not have remained even inactive, among the troops of the Philistines, without rendering himself suspected both to them and to his own people. (Calmet)
Years. Abulensis thinks that Achis told an untruth, to persuade the lords that he had been long witness of David's fidelity. He might also allude to the first time, when he came to his court, or the four months specified chap. xxvii. 9, might fall into different years. Septuagint, "he has been with us days, this is the second year. "(Menochius)
Syriac, "two years (Arabic, "one year "and some months. "(Calmet)
The true term was only four months. (Worthington)
