Bible Strands
1 Samuel 29:2
As the Philistine leaders marched out with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched behind them with Achish.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the Philistine army mobilizing at Aphek as David and his forces march under Achish’s command. This occurs immediately after the Philistines gather their full military strength against Israel.
The words — עֹֽבְרִים ('oe.Rim) translates literally as "passing along," repeated to emphasize the continuous movement of both the Philistine ranks and David’s contingent. סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים (sar.Nei fe.lish.Tim) denotes the "rulers of the Philistines," identifying the commanding officers who will soon question David’s presence.
The thread — The mobilization echoes the earlier gathering at 1 Samuel 28:1 and the territorial boundaries noted in Joshua 13:3. The commanders’ subsequent objection in 1 Samuel 29:3 directly follows this marching order.
Why it lands — The verse places David physically within the enemy’s military structure, establishing the factual basis for the commanders’ demand in 1 Samuel 29:3. It requires the reader to observe how proximity to hostile forces creates immediate political and military tension before any resolution occurs.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 28:1 Now in those days the Philistines gathered their forces for warfare against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.”
- Joshua 13:3 from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;
- 1 Samuel 29:6 So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and it seems right in my sight 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 are not good in the sight of the leaders.
- 1 Samuel 5:8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
- 1 Samuel 6:4 “What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.