וַיִּקְבְּצוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת כָּל מַחֲנֵיהֶם אֲפֵקָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל חֹנִים בַּעַיִן אֲשֶׁר בְּיִזְרְעֶאל

The Philistines gathered their entire camp to Afek. The events recounted here apparently took place earlier, when the Philistines initially gathered at Afek, before traveling north and deploying at Shunem. And Israel encamped at the spring that is in Yizre’el, the Yizre’el Valley, or near the city of Yizre’el.

וְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים עֹבְרִים לְמֵאוֹת וְלַאֲלָפִים וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹבְרִים בָּאַחֲרֹנָה עִם אָכִישׁ

The chief Philistine governors were passing, each marching at the head of his men. In this manner the organized Philistine military units traveled with their hundreds of warriors, and with their thousands, and David and his men were passing at the rear with Akhish.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים מָה הָעִבְרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר אָכִישׁ אֶל שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הֲלוֹא זֶה דָוִד עֶבֶד שָׁאוּל מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אִתִּי זֶה יָמִים אוֹ זֶה שָׁנִים וְלֹא מָצָאתִי בוֹ מְאוּמָה מִיּוֹם נָפְלוֹ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

The Philistine governors said: What are these Hebrews? Their appearance differs conspicuously from ours. Akhish said to the Philistine governors: Truly, this is David, servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days or these years, a considerable time (see above 27:7), and I have not found anything lacking in him since the day he encamped with me until this day. Therefore, I have incorporated him into my military unit.

וַיִּקְצְפוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָשֵׁב אֶת הָאִישׁ וְיָשֹׁב אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִפְקַדְתּוֹ שָׁם וְלֹא יֵרֵד עִמָּנוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לָּנוּ לְשָׂטָן בַּמִּלְחָמָה וּבַמֶּה יִתְרַצֶּה זֶה אֶל אֲדֹנָיו הֲלוֹא בְּרָאשֵׁי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵם

The Philistine governors were enraged with him, and the Philistine governors said to him: Return the man, and let him return to his place which you assigned to him. Let him not go forth with us to war, that he not become an adversary, or a stumbling block, to us in the war. He might cause us to lose the battle. With what would this one reconcile with his lord? Would it not be with the heads of those men, our own heads? If David wishes to return to his former masters, he will have no better opportunity to do so than by joining us and subsequently defecting to Israel during the war, thereby betraying our forces. You are placing him in a position of significant temptation, and we do not trust him to withstand it.

הֲלוֹא זֶה דָוִד אֲשֶׁר יַעֲנוּ לוֹ בַּמְּחֹלוֹת לֵאמֹר הִכָּה שָׁאוּל בַּאֲלָפָיו וְדָוִד בְּרִבְבֹתָיו

Is this not David, of whom they proclaimed with dances, saying: Saul smote his thousands and David, his tens of thousands? David is renowned in Israel as one who successfully waged war against the Philistines (18:7). Even if he has fled Israel due to some internal quarrel, he may well take this opportunity to return to Israel’s side.

וַיִּקְרָא אָכִישׁ אֶל דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו חַי ה'כִּי יָשָׁר אַתָּה וְטוֹב בְּעֵינַי צֵאתְךָ וּבֹאֲךָ אִתִּי בַּמַּחֲנֶה כִּי לֹא מָצָאתִי בְךָ רָעָה מִיּוֹם בֹּאֲךָ אֵלַי עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה ובְעֵינֵי הַסְּרָנִים לֹא טוֹב אָתָּה

Akhish summoned David, and he said to him: As the Lord lives, I swear, for you are upright, and your going and coming with me in the camp is good in my eyes, for I have not found evil in you since the day you came to me until this day, but in the eyes of the governors you are not good.

וְעַתָּה שׁוּב וְלֵךְ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה רָע בְּעֵינֵי סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים

Now, return to your home in Tziklag, and go in peace, and do not do evil in the eyes of the Philistine governors.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל אָכִישׁ כִּי מֶה עָשִׂיתִי וּמַה מָּצָאתָ בְעַבְדְּךָ מִיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי לְפָנֶיךָ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי לֹא אָבוֹא וְנִלְחַמְתִּי בְּאֹיְבֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ

David said to Akhish: For what have I done, and what have you found in your servant from the day that I was before you until this day, that I should not come and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? Why do you suspect me, and consider me unworthy of fighting alongside you? David presents a show of great loyalty without asking for any corresponding obligation.

וַיַּעַן אָכִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל דָּוִד יָדַעְתִּי כִּי טוֹב אַתָּה בְּעֵינַי כְּמַלְאַךְ אֱלֹהִים אַךְ שָׂרֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים אָמְרוּ לֹא יַעֲלֶה עִמָּנוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה

Akhish answered and said to David: I know that you are good in my eyes like an angel of God. In my mind, you are completely virtuous. However, the Philistine governors have said decisively: He will not go up with us to the war.

וְעַתָּה הַשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְעַבְדֵי אֲדֹנֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ אִתָּךְ וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְאוֹר לָכֶם וָלֵכוּ

Now, arise early in the morning, and together with the former servants of your lord, Saul, who came with you, and you will arise early in the morning, and when it is light for you, go. It is too late to travel now. Stay here tonight, and leave in the morning when it is light.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם דָּוִד הוּא וַאֲנָשָׁיו לָלֶכֶת בַּבֹּקֶר לָשׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּפְלִשְׁתִּים עָלוּ יִזְרְעֶאל

David arose early, he and his men, to go in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines, to Tziklag. Despite his polite response, David did not wish to participate in the war, and he was glad to be able to return. Perhaps he felt compelled by his relationship with Akhish to go along with him to the battlefront, and he might even have planned something along the lines suggested by the princes of the Philistines, although that would have depended on the circumstances of the war and the deployment of the opposing forces. In any case, the Philistines prevented him from having to deal with an awkward and potentially perilous situation. And meanwhile the Philistines went up northward to Yizre’el, where the battle was to be held.