- David concludes from his own reasoning that Saul will eventually kill him and flees to Achish, king of Gath (vv. 1–2).
- "David said in his heart" denotes this as internal reasoning, not prayer or inquiry of the LORD.
- Contrast this with David from the prior chapter.
- Saul hears that David is in Philistine territory and stops pursuing him (v. 4).
- David's strategy works on a human level, for he has found a place where Saul's reach does not grasp.
- The cost of David’s action is self-imposed exile.
- David negotiates for his own town rather than living in Gath with Achish (v. 5), and receives Ziklag (v. 6).
- Ziklag was territory given to Judah back in Joshua 15
- Even in David’s shameful escape, God continues to signal that he will rule as king from Judah, by recovering for him a lost allotment from Judah.
- During this period David raids the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites
- Israel's old covenant enemies, remnants
- David deceives Achish about who he has been raiding, by reporting he struck the south of Judah (v. 10).
- Achish believes David has made himself an enemy of Israel and concludes David is now loyal to him
- David's actions are tactically clever but spiritually ambiguous.
- He is fulfilling covenant warfare against Israel's enemies, but through deception, and while living outside the land.
- The LORD is not mentioned in this chapter, and there is a parallel absence of God from David's reasoning.