I Samuel 29:6 · Bible study
1 Samuel 29:6 Commentary: Achish Swears by Yahweh
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does a Philistine king swear by the Lord? Study 1 Samuel 29:6 and see God's providence in David's dismissal from the Philistine army.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God uses pagan rulers to protect David from fighting Israel.
- Key words: Yahweh (YHWH), upright (yashar), good (tov), evil (ra'ah), rulers (serenim).
- Main debate: Did Achish actually swear by Yahweh or is it the narrator's phrasing? Was David's deception justified?
- Theological theme: Divine providence over human political decisions.
- Best use: A sermon on how God overrules human plans for His purpose.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright in my sight, and it seems right that you should march in and out with me in the army, because I have found no fault in you from the day you came to me until this day. But you have no favor in the sight of the leaders.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then Achish called David and said to him, “As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don’t favor you.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the Lord liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then Achish called David, and said unto him, As Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor thee not.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Achish calleth unto David, and saith unto him, `Jehovah liveth, surely thou art upright, and good in mine eyes is thy going out, and thy coming in, with me in the camp, for I have not found in thee evil from the day of thy coming in unto me till this day; and in the eyes of the princes thou art not good;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Achish called David, and said to him, [As] Jehovah liveth, thou art upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp is acceptable to me; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to this day; but thou art not acceptable to the lords.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Then Achis called David, and said to him: As the Lord liveth, thou art upright and good in my sight: and so is thy going out, and thy coming in with me in the army: and I have not found any evil in thee, since the day that thou camest to me unto this day: but thou pleasest not the lords.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Achîs llamó á David, y díjole: Vive Jehová, que tú has sido recto, y que me ha parecido bien tu salida y entrada en el campo conmigo|strong="H0854, H0859", y que ninguna cosa mala he hallado en ti desde el día que viniste á mí hasta hoy: mas en los ojos de los príncipes no agradas.
E Aquis chamou a Davi, e disse-lhe: Vive o SENHOR, que tu foste reto, e que me pareceu bem tua saída e entrada no campo comigo, e que nenhuma coisa má achei em ti desde o dia que vieste a mim até hoje; mas aos olhos dos príncipes não agradas.
Akisch appela David, et lui dit: L’ Éternel est vivant! Tu es un homme droit, et j’ aime à te voir aller et venir avec moi dans le camp, car je n’ ai rien trouvé de mauvais en toi depuis ton arrivée auprès de moi jusqu’ à ce jour; mais tu ne plais pas aux princes.
Da rief Achis David und sprach zu ihm: So wahr der HERR lebt, ich halte dich für redlich, und dein Ausgang und Eingang mit mir im Heer gefällt mir wohl, und habe nichts Arges an dir gespürt, seit der Zeit, daß du zu mir gekommen bist; aber du gefällst den Fürsten nicht.
Toen riep Achis David, en zeide tot hem: Het is zo waarachtig als de HEERE leeft, dat gij oprecht zijt, en uw uitgang en uw ingang met mij in het leger is goed in mijn ogen; want ik heb geen kwaad bij u gevonden, van dien dag af, dat gij tot mij zijt gekomen, tot dezen dag toe; maar gij zijt niet aangenaam in de ogen der vorsten.
Allora Akis chiamò Davide e gli disse: “Com’è vero che l’Eterno vive, tu sei un uomo retto, e vedo con piacere il tuo andare e venire con me nel campo, poiché non ho trovato in te nulla di male dal giorno che arrivasti da me fino ad oggi; ma tu non piaci ai principi.
A tak wezwał Achis Dawida, i rzekł mu: Jako żywy Pan, żeś ty szczery i dobry jest w oczach moich, a podoba mi się wyjście twoje, i wejście twoje ze mną do obozu, bom nie znalazł w tobie nic złego ode dnia, któregoś przyszedł do mnie, aż do dnia te go; tylko w oczach książąt nie masz łaski.
И призвал Анхус Давида и сказал ему: жив Господь! ты честен, и глазам моим приятно было бы, чтобы ты выходил и входил со мною в ополчении; ибо я не заметил в тебе худого со времени прихода твоего ко мне до сего дня; но в глазах князей ты не хорош.
亞吉 叫 大衛來，對他 說：「我指著永生 的耶和華起誓， 你是 正直人。你隨我 在軍中 出 入，我看 你甚好。自從 你投奔 我 到 如 今，我未 曾見 你 有甚麼過失；只是眾首領 不 喜悅 你。
Then Achish sent for David and said to him, By the living Lord, you are upright, and everything you have done with me in the army has been pleasing to me: I have seen no evil in you from the day when you came to me till now: but still, the lords are not pleased with you.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 29:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Achish genuinely valued David's service. Gill notes that Achish swore by "Jehovah" perhaps out of complaisance to David or to convince him of sincerity. Cambridge Bible suggests the historian may have preserved the sense rather than exact words, or Achish himself swore by Israel's God to reassure David. Barnes likewise observes the oddity of a Philistine swearing by Yahweh and attributes it to the narrator's idiom. Keil and Delitzsch see the entire episode as God's rescue: David was cornered between fighting Saul (his anointed king) and breaking his oath to Achish. The Philistine princes' suspicion, driven by memories of David's military fame (1 Sam 29:5), forced Achish to dismiss him. Matthew Henry calls this discharge "honourable" and notes that God overruled the princes' distrust for David's good. Across traditions, the providential deliverance is the core: God prevented David from committing a sin against Israel and spared him the loyalty conflict.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historian's idiom: Barnes and Cambridge suggest the narrator put Israelite oath language into Achish's mouth; the exact wording may not be historical.
- Achish's accommodation: Gill and others argue Achish used Yahweh's name deliberately to show sincerity to David, possibly having learned about Israel's God through their relationship.
What is clear: God prevented David from fighting against his own people, Israel, by using the Philistine lords' political distrust.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Achish's oath by Yahweh | Achish uses an oath formula to express his trust in David's loyalty. | Barnes and Cambridge see it as the historian's idiom rather than Achish's actual words. Gill suggests Achish may have learned to invoke Yahweh from David or used the name to persuade David of his sincerity. |
| David's uprightness in Achish's eyes | Achish found no fault in David's service and considered him loyal and reliable. | Clarke and Gill note that David had been deceiving Achish about his raids (1 Sam 27:8-12). From Achish's perspective David was upright, but morally the deception complicates the claim. |
| The lords' rejection as providence | God used the Philistine princes' suspicion to prevent David from fighting Israel. | Matthew Henry stresses God's overruling sovereignty; Keil and Delitzsch also highlight divine rescue. Some readers focus more on the human political reasoning (the lords' fear was wise), while others see God's hand behind every detail. |
| David's response in verse 8 | David protests his dismissal and asks to be allowed to fight. | Keil argues David spoke ambiguously, 'my lord the king' could refer to Saul or Achish, partly to test Achish's sincerity. Others take David's words at face value, as part of maintaining his cover with the Philistines. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The episode sits within the larger narrative of David's fugitive years. After months of hiding from Saul, David sought refuge with the Philistine king Achish of Gath (1 Samuel 27). He was granted Ziklag as a base, from which he conducted raids, not against Israel as Achish believed, but against Israel's traditional enemies (1 Sam 27:8). Achish trusted David, saying he had "made his people Israel utterly to abhor him" (1 Sam 27:12).
Now the Philistine army gathers at Aphek for a major campaign against Israel, culminating at Gilboa (1 Sam 28:4, 31). David and his men march in the rear with Achish (29:2). The Philistine commanders, the seranim or "lords", do not share Achish's confidence. They remember David's reputation from the songs: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" (29:5). Their protest is politically sharp: David could reconcile with Saul by bringing Philistine heads (29:4).
In this verse, Achish calls David to explain the decision. His swearing "as Yahweh lives" may reflect his personal respect for David's God, or it may be the narrator's way of showing Achish trying to speak David's language. Either way, the oath underlines the sincerity of Achish's personal regard. The phrase "your going out and your coming in" echoes the description of faithful leadership (Numbers 27:17; 1 Samuel 29:6). Achish claims to have found "no evil" in David, a statement that is true from Achish's perspective, even though David had been deceiving him about his raids.
The lords' refusal is the decisive factor. Keil and Delitzsch observe that David likely felt relief, praising God for rescue from a situation "into which he had been brought not altogether without some fault of his own." The providence is clear: God used the Philistines' own political calculations to keep David from fighting against his own people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with only minor orthographic differences in later traditions.
Reception History
Christians have long read this passage as a striking example of providence. Matthew Henry (1710) observed that kings cannot always do as they wish; God overrules human decisions. The Philistine lords' mistrust, born of political caution, becomes the means of David's deliverance. Earlier interpreters, such as the Geneva Bible notes (1599), simply recount the events without moral judgment on David's situation. In the 19th century, commentators like Keil and Delitzsch focused on David's own fault, his deception of Achish, and saw God's grace in rescuing him regardless. The oath by Yahweh has also drawn attention: Barnes and Cambridge debate whether a Philistine could have invoked Israel's God. Across traditions, the consensus holds that these verses display God's care for His anointed, even through flawed human actors.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's Providence in Closed Doors. Achish wanted David with him, but the lords' distrust overruled that desire. In the same way, God sometimes uses others' opposition to block paths that would harm us. What feels like rejection may be protection.
- The Dilemma David Did Not Choose. David's deception of Achish (1 Sam 27) placed him in an ethical trap. He had to choose between breaking his word and fighting Israel. God rescued him before he had to decide. Our flawed choices do not exhaust God's ability to deliver.
- Achish's Sincere but Limited Sight. The Philistine king saw David's outward conduct and pronounced him upright. Yet he did not know the full truth about David's raids. Human approval is good, but it cannot see the whole heart. God's approval is the one that matters.
Five-point outline
- Achish's Compliment. He calls David upright, good in his sight, and free of evil. This is high praise from a foreign king.
- The Oath by Yahweh. A Philistine swearing by the covenant name signals either the narrator's style or Achish's attempt to connect with David's faith.
- The Princes' Objection. Their political caution, grounded in David's military record, overrides Achish's personal trust.
- David's Protested Response. His reply in verse 8 is ambiguous: he could be speaking of Achish or Saul as "my lord the king." It keeps his options open and tests Achish's sincerity.
- The Divine Rescue. God worked through free human decisions, Achish's loyalty and the lords' suspicion, to keep David from sinning against his own people.
Illustration hooks
- A job offer that falls through because a decision-maker vetoes it, only later to learn that accepting would have required compromising your values.
- A friend vouching for you to a group, but others object. You are sent away, then discover the group was heading in a direction that would have damaged you.
- A door you fought to keep open closing suddenly. Months later you see that closed door kept you from a disaster you could not see at the time.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God wanted David out of the battle, why did he let David get entangled with the Philistines in the first place?
- Was David wrong to deceive Achish about his raids? Does the outcome justify the means?
- How do we know when a closed door is God's protection versus a missed opportunity?
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to hold two truths together: David put himself in a dangerous situation through compromise, and God still orchestrated events to protect him. Achish's oath and the princes' suspicion both serve God's purpose. As you discuss, let the tension sit, avoid rushing to justify David or condemn him.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud. What does Achish say about David's character? What evidence does he give for his trust?
- Achish swears "as Yahweh lives." Why is this surprising from a Philistine king? What explanations does your group find most plausible?
- Look at verse 2, 4. What reasons do the Philistine lords give for distrusting David? Are they reasonable from a military standpoint?
- How does this moment fit into the larger story of David's time among the Philistines (1 Sam 27, 28)? What choices led David here?
- Keil and Delitzsch say David was "not altogether without fault." If David had been completely honest with Achish, would he still have faced this dilemma? Why or why not?
- In what ways have you experienced a "closed door" that later proved to be God's protection? Share an example if comfortable.
- How does this story encourage you about God's ability to work through imperfect human decisions, your own and others'?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 16:6 | But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. |
| Numbers 27:17 | who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of Yahweh may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.” |
| Deuteronomy 10:20 | You shall fear Yahweh your God. You shall serve him. You shall cling to him, and you shall swear by his name. |
| Joshua 22:30 | When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well. |
| I Samuel 20:3 | David swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” |
| I Samuel 27:8 | David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. |
| I Samuel 27:12 | Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever.” |
| I Samuel 28:10 | Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, “As Yahweh lives, no punishment will happen to you for this thing.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Achish calls David upright based on what he believed was true, but he had not yet learned of the preceding events. David had deceived Achish into thinking he had been fighting against Israel, making the king's praise a case of dramatic irony.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that it sounds odd for a Philistine to swear by the Lord's name, since Philistines worshipped other gods. He suggests the biblical writer likely preserved the general meaning of the oath rather than the Philistine's exact words, translating it into terms Israelite readers would understand.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that Achish either swore by Israel's God himself or the historian put the oath in his mouth to show sincerity. The point turns on tense: David is not just historically upright but is currently upright in Achish's eyes, making the king's praise present and personal.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Achish affirms David's uprightness and good conduct, yet the Philistine princes do not favor him. The point is that even a pagan king recognizes David's integrity, but human opposition still prevents his place among them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Achish swore by Jehovah, the true God, which a Philistine king would not have done naturally—likely learned from David or spoken to please him. He also observes that Achish called David upright, though David had deceived him about attacking Judah, and then sent him away because the Philistine lords distrusted him.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draw attention to the deliberate ambiguity in David's words when he calls "my lord the king" – a phrase Achish, in his trusting goodness, applies to himself but could just as easily refer to Saul. David's relieved departure shows he has been rescued from a crisis without violating his loyalty to either Achish or Israel.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange evaluates David's deception toward Achish as ethically wrong by God's absolute standard, yet he refuses to judge it solely by New Testament morality. He sees God overruling David's sin, using the Philistines' own memory of Goliath to rescue him from fighting his own people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that even Achish, a king who trusted David like an angel of God, was overruled by the Philistine princes in their war council. Kings cannot always do as they please, and politically the princes were right to distrust David. Achish's high regard could not override the collective decision.