1 Samuel 27:10
And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.
Original Language Analysis
אַל
Whither
H408
אַל
Whither
Strong's:
H408
Word #:
3 of 16
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
פְּשַׁטְתֶּ֖ם
have ye made a road
H6584
פְּשַׁטְתֶּ֖ם
have ye made a road
Strong's:
H6584
Word #:
4 of 16
to spread out (i.e., deploy in hostile array); by analogy, to strip (i.e., unclothe, plunder, flay, etc.)
הַיּ֑וֹם
to day
H3117
הַיּ֑וֹם
to day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
5 of 16
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 16
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
נֶ֖גֶב
Against the south
H5045
נֶ֖גֶב
Against the south
Strong's:
H5045
Word #:
9 of 16
the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)
יְהוּדָה֙
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָה֙
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
10 of 16
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
וְעַל
H5921
וְעַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
11 of 16
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
נֶ֖גֶב
Against the south
H5045
נֶ֖גֶב
Against the south
Strong's:
H5045
Word #:
12 of 16
the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)
הַיַּרְחְמְאֵלִ֔י
of the Jerahmeelites
H3397
הַיַּרְחְמְאֵלִ֔י
of the Jerahmeelites
Strong's:
H3397
Word #:
13 of 16
a jerachmeelite or descendant of jerachmeel
Cross References
Judges 1:16And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.1 Chronicles 2:9The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.1 Chronicles 2:25And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.1 Samuel 30:29And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,Judges 4:11Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
Historical Context
The Negev regions mentioned (south of Judah, Jerahmeelites, Kenites) were precisely the areas where David should have been raiding if he had truly defected from Israel. David's lies were believable because they matched what Achish expected to hear.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you evaluate the ethics of deception in life-threatening situations?
- What does David's example teach about the spiritual costs of prolonged moral compromise?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
David's deception of Achish represents the moral nadir of his Philistine sojourn. When asked 'Whither have ye made a road today?' (Hebrew: 'al-mi peshatetem,' against whom did you raid), David lies, claiming to have attacked Judah, the Jerahmeelites (a southern Judean clan), and the Kenites (allies of Israel). This falsehood preserved his alliance with Achish while concealing his true activities. The narrative presents this deception without explicit moral commentary, leaving readers to wrestle with the ethics of survival-driven dishonesty.