1 Samuel 29:4

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?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Philistine commanders confront Achish, demanding he dismiss David before the army marches against Israel. The words — The Hebrew הָשֵׁ֣ב (ha.Shev) issues a direct command to "send back" David to his assigned location. The thread — This demand follows the commanders' initial inquiry in 1 Samuel 29:3 and directly triggers the cultural argument presented in 1 Samuel 29:5. Why it lands — The text records the commanders' pragmatic objection that David's presence risks betrayal, leaving Achish to weigh military caution against his personal guarantee of David's loyalty.

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

וַיִּקְצְפ֨וּva/i.yik.tze.Fuand/ they were angry עָלָ֜יו'a.La/vtowards/ him שָׂרֵ֣יsa.Rei[the] commanders of פְלִשְׁתִּ֗יםfe.lish.Tim[the] Philistines וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּva/i.Yo.me.ruand/ they saidלוֹ֩l/oto <the>/ himשָׂרֵ֨יsa.Rei[the] commanders of פְלִשְׁתִּ֜יםfe.lish.Tim[the] Philistines הָשֵׁ֣בha.Shevsend back אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאִ֗ישׁha./'Ishthe/ man וְיָשֹׁב֙ve./ya.Shoso/ may he return אֶל־'el-to מְקוֹמוֹ֙me.ko.M/oplace/ his אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhere הִפְקַדְתּ֣וֹhif.kad.T/oyou assigned/ him שָׁ֔םShamthere וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not יֵרֵ֤דye.Redhe will go down עִמָּ֙נוּ֙'i.Ma./nuwith/ us בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔הba./mil.cha.Mahin the/ battle וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not יִֽהְיֶה־yih.yeh-he will becomeלָּ֥נוּLa./nuof/ usלְשָׂטָ֖ןle./sa.Tan<into>/ an adversary בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הba./mil.cha.Mahin the/ battle וּבַמֶּ֗הu./va./Mehand/ <in>/ how?יִתְרַצֶּ֥הyit.ra.Tzehwill he make himself acceptable זֶה֙zehthis one אֶל־'el-to אֲדֹנָ֔יו'a.do.Na/vmaster<s>/ his הֲל֕וֹאha./Lo'¿/ not בְּרָאשֵׁ֖יbe./ra.Sheiby/ [the] heads of הָאֲנָשִׁ֥יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men הָהֵֽם׃ha./Hem<the>/ those

King James Version

And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?

Cross-references

1 Samuel 14:21 And the Hebrews who had previously gone up into the surrounding camps to join the Philistines now went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
1 Samuel 27:6 That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.
1 Chronicles 12:19 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.”)
Luke 16:8 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.