John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 27

And David said in his heart
Within himself, and to himself; while he was pondering things in his own mind, and considering the circumstances in which he was, and things appearing, very gloomy to him, he falls into a fit of unbelief and thus addresses himself:

I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul ;
for though he was returned to his place, he knew he was restless and uneasy, very inconstant and unstable, and not at all to be depended on; yea, he might conclude that Saul, observing that God was with him in protecting and defending him, and by delivering him into his hands once and again, he would be the more jealous of him, and envious at him, and seek all opportunities and advantages against him; and he feared that one time or another such would offer, and would be taken, and so he should perish by him: this was a strange fit of unbelief he was sunk into, and very unaccountable and unreasonable it was, had he but considered his being anointed king by the Lord, the promise of God to him, which could not fail, and the providence of God that watched over him from time to time:

[there is] nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape
into the land of the Philistines ;
which may seem strange, when he was advised by the Prophet Gad to depart from the land of Moab, and go into the land of Judah, (1 Samuel 22:5) , and where he had been so wonderfully preserved; and when he was in so much danger, when in the land of the Philistines before, insomuch that he was obliged to feign himself mad, (1 Samuel 21:13) ; and seeing this also was the very thing he lately dreaded, and cursed the men that should be the cause of his going out of his own land into an idolatrous one:

and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of
Israel ;
hearing that he was gone into a foreign country, would seek for him no more in any part of the land of israel, and so despair of ever getting him into his hands, would lay aside all thoughts about him for the future:

so shall I escape out of his hand ;
and be for ever safe: these were the carnal reasonings of his mind, under the prevalence of unbelief; and shows what poor weak creatures the best of men are, and how low their graces may sink as to exercise, when left to themselves.

And David arose
From the place where he was:

and he passed over ;
the borders of land of Canaan:

with the six hundred men that [were] with him ;
having neither lost any, nor had any added to him, since he was at Keilah, (1 Samuel 23:13) ;

unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath ;
whether this was the same Achish David was with before, (1 Samuel 21:10–13) , is not certain; it seems as if he was not the same, since he is described as the son of Maoch, as if it was to distinguish him from him; though it is not improbable that he was the same person. Some think ^F1 that he is described not from his father, but from his mother, whose name was Maacha.

The circumstances of David were now very much altered from what they were when he went to Gath before; then he went secretly, now openly; then as a person unknown, now as well known; then alone, now with six hundred men; then when discovered he was seized by the princes of Gath, and brought before the king, and was driven from his presence; but now he came either at the invitation of Achish, hearing how he had been treated by Saul, and thinking to attach him to his interest, and make him more and more the enemy of Saul, and so free himself from a very powerful one, and of whose wisdom and prudence, and military skill, and courage, and valour, he might hope to avail himself; or David sent an embassy to him, to treat with him about his coming into his country, and settlement in it, and terms to mutual satisfaction were agreed upon.

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: Hieron. Trad. Heb, in 2 Reg. fol. 78. E.

And David dwelt with Achish at Gath
The metropolis of his kingdom, called, (1 Samuel 27:5) , the royal city:

he and his men, every man with his household ;
or family; which they brought with them, to secure them from the malice of Saul; who in their absence might have destroyed them, as being the families of traitors and fugitives, and might be the more readily received by Achish, as he might hope for some advantage from them; and besides were pledges of their fidelity to him, and of their design to continue with him:

[even] David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail
the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife ;
who had been the wife of Nabal; of these (See Gill on 1 Samuel 25:43).

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath Who very probably had his spies out to watch his motions, and report to him where he was, and what he was doing:

and he sought no more again for him by which it seems as if he would have sought after him again, had he continued in the land of Israel; but now being gone, and in an enemy's country, and having nothing to fear from him while there, he laid aside all thoughts of seeking after him.

And David said to Achish
After he had been some time with him:

if I have now found grace in your eyes ;
or was in favour, as he thought himself to be, by various instances of respect shown him:

let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell
there :
he does not ask for a city or town, but a place in one of them, though one was given him; but of whom he asks it, it is not easy to say; though it is certain that Achish gave it him, (1 Samuel 27:6) . Perhaps he might desire it might be given him by Achish, with the consent of his princes and nobles, or at least of his privy council; that so it might be to general satisfaction, and the grant more authentic; though it may be impersonally read, as in the Vulgate Latin version, "let there be given me" David's view in this might be partly to prevent the envy of the courtiers of Achish, who might think that David was too near the king, and might have too great an interest in him, and receive too many of his favours, and become his chief confidant and prime minister; and partly to preserve himself and people from all temptations to idolatry, and corruptions in religion; as also that he might have an opportunity, without the knowledge of Achish, to fall upon the enemies of Israel;

though the excuse he made was as follows:

for why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you ?
for so Gath was; and six hundred men and their families might seem to crowd the city; and this reasoning of his might suggest, that he and his men were a straitening of him, and a burden on him; and it might seem as if he was a rival with him in state and dignity, when he was no other than a servant of his.