(27:2-3) David Seeks Refuge - For the second time, David sought refuge from Saul in Philistine territory (21:10-15). Once the great conqueror of the Philistines, he now had permission to live under the protection of King Achish of Gath. Previously, David had pretended to be insane in front of Achish. Evidently, the Philistine king had forgotten that incident or chosen to overlook it in light of David's current situation. Achish certainly would have known about the split between Saul and David and would have been glad to shelter this Israelite traitor. In return, Achish would expect military support from David and his 600 warriors. David further strengthened his position with Achish by conducting fake raids on Israel and by pretending to be loyal to the Philistine ruler.

(27:4) Saul Stops Pursuing David - Saul finally stopped pursuing David. His army was not strong enough to invade Philistine territory just to seek one man. Besides, the immediate threat to Saul's throne was gone while David was out of the country.

(27:5-7) David Moves to Gath - Gath was one of five principal cities in Philistia, and Achish was one of five Philistine rulers. David may have wanted to move out of this important city to avoid potential skirmishes with the Philistines there or attacks upon his family and his men. He may also have wanted to escape the close scrutiny of the Philistine officials. Achish let David move to Ziklag, where he lived until Saul's death (2 Samuel 2:1).

(27:8-9) David Attacks 3 Tribes - David probably conducted these guerrilla-style raids because these three tribes were known for their surprise attacks and cruel treatment of innocent people. These desert tribes were a danger, not just to the Philistines, but especially to the Israelites, the people David would one day lead

(27:10-12) David Stays Loyal to the Lord - Was David wrong in falsely reporting his activities to Achish? No doubt David was lying, but he may have felt his strategy was justified in a time of war against a pagan enemy. David knew that eventually he would be Israel's king. The Philistines were still his enemies, but this was an excellent place to hide from Saul. When Achish asked David to go into battle against Israel, David agreed, once again pretending to be loyal to the Philistines (28:1-2). Whether he would have actually fought Saul's army we cannot know, but we can be sure that his ultimate loyalty was to God and not to Achish or Saul.