1 Samuel 29:2

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands.—The orderly advance of this great military nation is thus described. The “lords” a different term to the expression “princes.” There were apparently in the Philistine federation five sovereign princes, of whom Achish of Gath was one. Beneath these were other chieftains, who seemingly had great control over the sovereign princes.

David and his men.—David, in return for the lands round Ziklag given him by the King of Gath, seems to have owed a kind of military service to his suzerain Achish. The difference in the arms and equipment of the Israelitish warriors in the division of David, which was marching under the standard of Gath, no doubt excited questions. The general appearance of the Hebrews was, of course, well known to their hereditary Philistine foes.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:1-5 David waited with a secret hope that the Lord would help him out of his difficulty. But he seems to have been influenced too much by the fear of man, in consenting to attend Achish. It is hard to come near to the brink of sin, and not to fall in. God inclined the princes of the Philistines to oppose David's being employed in the battle. Thus their dislike befriended him, when no friend could do him such a kindness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The lords - See Judges 3:3 note, as distinguished from ordinary "princes" 1 Samuel 29:3. The military divisions of the Philistine army were by hundreds and by thousands, like those of the Israelites 1 Samuel 8:12. David and his men formed a body-guard to Achish 1 Samuel 28:2.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish—as the commander of the lifeguards of Achish, who was general of this invading army of the Philistines.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

i.e. As the life-guard of Achish, as he had promised, 1 Samuel 28:2, Achish being, as it seems, the general of the army.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands,.... Not that there were so many lords, for there were but five of them; but these marched, some at the head of hundreds with them, and others at the head of thousands:

but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish; who being the generalissimo brought up the rear, and David, whom he had appointed captain of his bodyguards, attended him with his men, which in point of gratitude he could not refuse; and yet was in the greatest strait and difficulty how to act, it being both against his conscience and his interest to fight against Israel, and was waiting and hoping for some appearance of Providence to deliver him out of this dilemma, and which was quickly seen; but Abarbinel thinks David had no other notion in going to the battle, but of being the bodyguard of Achish, and accompanying him, and that he should not fight against Israel, nor for the Philistines: neither harm the one, nor help the other.

Geneva Study Bible

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by {a} hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

(a) According to their bands, or ensigns.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. And the lords, &c.] Render, Now the lords … were passing on. The narrative now goes back to a point of time during the march of the Philistine army northwards, probably soon after the junction of the confederate forces from the different cities of the league. It must have been after they had passed the Philistine frontier, as David “returned into the land of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 29:11), but soon after, as he reached Ziklag on the third day (1 Samuel 30:1).

the lords] For the special title Seren translated “lord” see on ch. 1 Samuel 5:8. They were marching at the head of “the hundreds and the thousands” which were the military divisions of the army.

the rereward] The rear-guard, ward and guard being related as wise and guise, Cp. Isaiah 52:12.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 2, 3. - The lords of the Philistines passed on. Evidently they were on their march northward, with their troops arranged in divisions, when David's presence in the rearward with the contingent of Achish was noticed. The princes - not the strict word for the Philistine lords (see on 1 Samuel 5:8), but a loose, general term used again in ver. 4 - on having it reported to them in the course of a day or two that there was a body of strange troops in the army of Gath, asked, What do these Hebrews here? Hebrew, "What these Hebrews?" i.e. What mean these Hebrews? using of them the ordinary Philistine term of contempt. Achish answers that these men were the followers of David, who, having deserted from Saul, had been with him these days or these years, i.e. an indefinitely long time, during which he had conducted himself with the utmost fidelity to his new master. 1 Samuel 29:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When the princes of the Philistines (sarne, as in Joshua 13:3) advanced by hundreds and thousands (i.e., arranged in companies of hundreds and thousands), and David and his men came behind with Achish (i.e., forming the rear-guard), the (other) princes pronounced against their allowing David and his men to go with them. The did not occur at the time of their setting out, but on the road, when they had already gone some distance (compare 1 Samuel 29:11 with 1 Samuel 30:1), probably when the five princes (Joshua 13:3) of the Philistines had effected a junction. To the inquiry, "What are these Hebrews doing?" Achish replied, "Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me days already, or years already? and I have found nothing in him since his coming over unto this day." מאוּמה, anything at all that could render his suspicious, or his fidelity doubtful. נפל, to fall away and go over to a person; generally construed with אל (Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:19, etc.) or על (Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 37:14; 1 Chronicles 12:19-20), but here absolutely, as the more precise meaning can be gathered from the context.