DAVID SEEKS REFUGE IN ZIKLAG Saul’s repeated and persistent chase of David, despite the successive covenants between them, had taken away from David every confidence in Saul. He began to think seriously of escaping to a foreign land, especially that he became personally committed to two wives: ‘Ahinoam’ the Gezreelitess and ‘’Abigail’ Nabal’s widow (1 Samuel 27: 3); beside his children from them. His 600 men were likewise committed to their own families, that leaving them and hiding in caves became more difficult than before. It was so difficult for David’s soul, that he expressed in his admonishment to Saul, saying: “They have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord; saying: ‘Go serve other gods” (Samuel 26: 19). It was not easy for him, having lived all his years caring for the people of God, to become a fugitive deprived, even from partaking of the collective worship of God. now - probably due to human weakness, and without asking for the counsel of God - he had to resort to Achish, king of Gath, to allow him with his men to dwell in the village of ‘Ziklag,’ until Saul got desperate of finding him (1 Samuel 27: 1). 1- David escapes to Gath 1 – 4. 2- David dwells in Gath 6 – 7. 3- David raids the Geshurites and others 8 – 12. 1- DAVID ESCAPES TO GATH If David had been counted as one of the great heroes of faith, in this chapter, he appeared in some moments of weakness in faith, that brought on him much trouble. The Holy Book often presented David to us, as a role model of great faith; but here, it teaches us that, for every man, there are moments of weakness, in which he falls, not to surrender in despair, but to arise, in spite of all the inner and outer troubles that result from his fall. David thought in his depths, of fleeing together with his family and his men, to the land of the Philistines, hoping that Saul would eventually lose hope to find him, and to seek him no more; so he would escape of his hand. He decided to go to Achish in Gath (1 Samuel 27: 3). Achish, mentioned here, was probably the successor of Achish, the son of Maoch mentioned in 1 Samuel 21: 10. In the previous time, the king doubted him, as he came alone, assuming that he came to spy on him and on his land. However, this time he came together with his family and 600 men with their households, that were not easy to move along. Therefore he counted him as an asset and a useful ally. Moreover, Saul’s chase of David became so well known to the surrounding nations, something that put the hearts of Achish and his men at ease, concerning David and his men. Back to David,, we say that: although it was his right to doubt Saul’s promise to do him no more harm (1 Samuel 26: 21), it was not becoming of him to fear and escape in weak faith, having personally experienced God’s dealings with him; Who promised to grant him the kingdom, something that was known, and confirmed, by Saul and Jonathan, who told David that. The circumstances around the apostle St. Peter were disturbing; and when he doubted, he started to drown; “And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt? “ (Matthew 14: 31). The apostles also said to the Lord. ‘Increase our faith” (Luke 17: 5). 2 Weak faith made David go to Achish king of Gath, to pass through the bitterness of the ‘winepress’ [the word ‘Gath’ as St. Augustine believes means (winepress)1]. Strong faith, on the other hand, lifts up the spiritual man, that his depths would behold the unseen, and his heart would be exalted up beyond the seen things (Hebrew 11: 13 - 16). Faith consummates every gap in our knowledge, and grants us every thing unseen; as said by the apostle Paul: “By faith he (Abraham) endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrew 11: 27). St. Gregory of Nyssa2 David forgot the commandment of the prophet Gad: “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart and go to the land of Judah” (1 Samuel 22: 5); to keep him from leaning upon human arm and earthly strongholds; but to let him go to the people to partake of their suffering and humiliation by Saul. Yet now, here he was leaving the boundaries of Judah, to set forth to human strongholds, in the weakness of faith! 2- DAVID DWELLS IN GATH Achish welcomed David, because knowing for sure that he is pursued by Saul, made him at ease that David would never trust Saul nor ally with him. Accepting David would break the sting of Saul as well as give Akhish the chance to benefit from David and his men. As for David, he preferred not to dwell in Gath with Achish: Because, on one hand, the great number of his men and their households, would make them a burden on the city, as far as dwelling places and food are concerned. On the other, David did not intend to serve Achish, as he was heartily attached to his people beside wishing to have some freedom, especially for worshipping; so he said to Achish: “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there” (1 Samuel 27: 5) A further reason for his request, was his past experience in Saul’s royal court; He was apprehensive that a similar situation might arise if he succeeded in his ways, to be envied by Achish or some of his men. And being away from Gath, he and his men would not get in contact with the pagan festivities; as Gath was one of the great centers of worship for the Philistine gods. In humility and contrition of heart, David presented his request saying: “For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” (1 Samuel 27: 5) The king responded to his request, and gave him ‘Ziklag’ to live in it with his men. ‘Ziklag’ was a city in the farther south of Judah (Joshua 15: 31); given to the tribe of Simon (Joshua 19: 5; 1 Chronicles 4: 30); and in the days of Saul, it was in the hands of the Philistines;... then, later, it belonged to Judah (1 Samuel 27: 6); to be inhabited after captivity. It is probably ‘Tel- Khewilphah’ 10 miles east of the Hill of ‘Shariah,’ namely (of law) and 10 miles north of ’Beersheba’3. 3- DAVID RAIDS THE GESHURITES AND OTHERS Dwelling far from Gath, gave David the chance to organize and lead his men, together with their households, with some freedom. That is why he started raiding the neighboring pagan people, like the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, known as violent robbers, beside their corruption and defilement. It was a chance to 1 On Ps. 56. 2 From Glory to Glory, N. Y. 1977. ch. 1: 10. 3 New Westminster Dict. Of the Bible, p. 1024. 3 purify the earth, to keep corruption in its worst forms from infiltrating into the holy people, and the pure yeast. The Geshurites and the Girizites, living in the southern parts of Palestine, were probably branches of the Amalekites1, who were like gangs of thieves; who referred to sins, and symbolized the evil one. The divine command to Saul was: “I will punish what Amalek did to Israel; how he laid wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now Go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15: 2, 3). Amalek symbolizes the evil one, who blocks our way of ascension from this world up to the heavenly Canaan, to keep us from enjoying the eternal life. Its destruction, symbolizes the uprooting of every trace of sin in us: sins of the soul (every man), of the body (every woman), of thought, even if just budding (every infant and nursing child), etc. Saul broke the divine commandment, and spared ‘Agag’ the king of Amalek, beside sparing the best of the sheep and the oxen (1 Samuel 15). On the other hand, realizing Samuel’s words to Saul: “David attacked the land; he left neither man nor woman alive” (1 Samuel 27: 9), and, as the commandment was not directed to him, he took the spoil, to sustain on part of it, and to give the other part to Achish, as a kind of tax for having them in his land. As a fruit of his resorting to foreigners, instead of staying in the land of Judah, David was not only committed to give part of the spoil as a kind of tax to Achish the king of Gath, but he also had to resort to deceit and to beating about the bush. When Achich inquired from him about his recent raids he did not tell him the truth, but said:“Against the southern area of Judas, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites” (1 Samuel 27: 10). He pretended to have raided the southern parts of Judah, the Jerahmeelites (descendants of Judah), the Keenites (he actually raided their neighbors). That is why Achish assumed: “He (David) has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; Therefore he will be my servant forever”(1 Samuel 27: 12) The Jerahmeelites2 were related to ‘Jerhameel’ meaning (God has mercy); son of ‘Hezron,’ son of ‘Perez,’ son of ‘Judah’ (1 Chronicles 2: 4, etc.). Later, they were counted as descendants of Judah (1 Chronicles 2); and dwelt south of Judea. The Keenites3, already dealt with in 1 Samuel 15: 6; were assumed to have been like blacksmiths to Israel. They were allied to Israel, especially to Judah with some relationship to the Midianites, to whom Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, the Midianite priest was related. They were counted among the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2: 55. They preferred dwelling in tents even in the late royal era (Jeremiah 35: 6 - 10), in abidance to their father’s commandment. 1 Matthew Henery: Comm. On the Whole Bible, 1963, p. 321. 2 New Westminster Dict., p. 456. 3 Ibid, p. 534.
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