1 Samuel 29:9

29:6-11 David scarcely ever had a greater deliverance than when dismissed from such insnaring service. God's people should always behave themselves so, as, if possible, to get the good word of all they have dealings with: and it is due to those who have acted well, to speak well of them.

And Achish answered and said unto David,.... In reply to the questions: I know that thou art good in my sight as an angel of God: for his great wisdom, and graceful behaviour, and inoffensive carriage: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, he shall not go up with us to the battle; though Achish had so good an opinion of him, and had declared it in council, yet an order had passed there that he should not go to battle with them; there were but five of them, and Achish was one of the five, so that there were four to one for the dismissing him; and Achish, though a king, was obliged to submit.

1 Samuel 29:9 . Achish said, Thou art good in my sight as an angel of God — In whom nothing is blame-worthy. The heathen acknowledged good spirits, which also they worshipped as an inferior sort of deities, who were messengers and ministers to the supreme God; Achish had learned the title of angels from the Israelites his neighbours, and especially from David’s conversation.

As an angel of God, in whom nothing is blameworthy. Or it may be used to express David’s great wisdom (as well as integrity); as 2 Samuel 14:17 19:27 . The heathens acknowledged good spirits, which also they worshipped as an inferior sort of deities, who were messengers and ministers to the supreme God; only Achish had learned the title of angels from the Israelites his neighbours, and especially from David’s conversation.

9. notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said—The Philistine government had constitutional checks—or at least the king was not an absolute sovereign; but his authority was limited—his proceedings liable to be controlled by "the powerful barons of that rude and early period—much as the kings of Europe in the Middle Ages were by the proud and lawless aristocracy which surrounded them" [Chalmers].

Partly for the sake of vindicating himself against this suspicion, and partly to put the sincerity of Achish's words to the test, David replied, "What have I done, and what hast thou found in thy servant, since I was with thee till this day, that I am not to come and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" These last words are also ambiguous, since the king whom David calls his lord might be understood as meaning either Achish or Saul. Achish, in his goodness of heart, applies them without suspicion to himself; for he assures David still more earnestly ( 1 Samuel 29:9 ), that he is firmly convinced of his uprightness. "I know that thou art good in my eyes as an angel of God," i.e., I have the strongest conviction that thou hast behaved as well towards me as an angel could; but the princes have desired thy removal.

Verse 27. - The... words of David . Although there are many instances of the expression, "the words of" David or some other king, as equivalent to his "doings" ( 1 Chronicles 29:29 ; 2 Chronicles 9:29 ), and not a few instances of the same phrase, standing for the "account" or "history' of any one ( 1 Chronicles 27:24 ; 1 Chronicles 29:29 , three times; 2 Chronicles 9:29 ), the expression here may rather parallel passages like 2 Samuel 23:1 ; 2 Chronicles 29:30 . 1 Chronicles 23:27