I Samuel 29:4
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But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
How Saul, who was forsaken of God, when he was in a strait was more and more perplexed and embarrassed with his own counsels, we read in the foregoing chapter. In this chapter we find how David, who kept close to God, when he was in a strait was extricated and brought off by the providence of God, without any contrivance of his own. We have him, I. Marching with the Philistines (Sa1 29:1, Sa1 29:2). II. Excepted against by the lords of the Philistines (Sa1 29:3-5). III. Happily dismissed by Achish from that service which did so ill become him, and which yet he knew not how to decline (Sa1 29:6-11).
Open source ↗29:4 handing our heads over: The commanders’ fears were justified (cp. 17:51; 18:27).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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And the Hebrews who had previously gone up into the surrounding camps of the Philistines now went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”)
The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.