John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 26:13

"Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;" — 1 Samuel 26:13 (ASV)

Then David went over to the other side
To a hill on the other side, opposite to Hachilah, where Saul lay encamped; or "passed over the passage" ^F17 , the valley that lay between the two hills, and perhaps passed over a brook that ran in the valley, which is not unusual; so Josephus ^F18 says, that he went over a brook and came to the top of a mountain:

and stood on the top of an hill afar off ;
he chose the top of an hill, that his voice might be heard at a distance, as it might in a clear air, and still night; and to be afar off, that he might the better make his escape, should an attempt be made to pursue him:

a great space [being] between them ;
a large valley lying between the two hills.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (rbeh rbeyw) "et transivit transitum", Montanus.
• F18: Antiqu. l. 6. c. 13. sect. 9.