Deeper Reflection
THE NARRATOR TELLS the story of David in his self-made tangled web in 1 Samuel 29 through a key word which is repeated four times: “return” (Heb. shub). When the lords of the Philistines questioned Achish about the presence of David and his private army with them, the king made a defence for David’s total loyalty to him (vv.2-3). To the Philistine lords, Achish was too naïve¹ and failed to see the potential great risk in having David fighting Israel with them. With anger at Achish’s naivete, they made a demand: “Make the man return, that he may return to his place” where Achish had assigned him (v.4). Prevailed by the Philistine lords’ protest and demand, Achish said to David: “Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines” (v.7). In response to Achish, David “arose early…to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines” (v.11). The repeated “return” establishes a significant theological point in the story. While God is absent in the text and in David’s life during his 16 months in Philistia, God was present, nonetheless. Theologically, God was behind the “return” – in the Philistine lords’ mouths (v.4), in Achish’s mouth (v.7) and in David’s act (v.11). But God’s presence was so quiet. There was no noise, no tempest. God was there, but not obviously.

---

¹ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel, Focus on the Bible (Christian Focus, 2000), 302