1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21

Morgan - 1Sa 21:12 (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) This is a strange story about David; and yet it is not strange, in that it is so true to human experience. Fear and faith are constantly antagonistic. The triumph of the one is always the defeat of the other. This is the record of a period in the life of David when fear triumphed over faith. In fear of Saul he fled to Achish, the enemy of the people of God. There he was filled with fear of Achish, and we have the sad picture of God's anointed man feigning madness in order to protect himself. There can be no question that these were days of great strain for David; and judging simply on the ground of what man is able to endure in his own strength, we cannot wonder that the tension reacted upon him. But there was no need for him to depend upon him-self. Faith might have triumphed over fear of Saul. Had it done so, he would never have sought refuge with Achish, and would not have been reduced to such unworthy expedients for securing safety. Surely all these things were written for our learning; and while the experience of David calls out our sympathy, because we have so often yielded to fear, and then resorted to foolish methods to find escape from danger, nevertheless the lesson which is patent is that we have no right to take refuge from any peril among those who are the enemies of the Divine purpose. That means, finally, that fear is wrong. Faith in God is the strength of righteous action, and there is no reason for any other attitude of mind than that of perfect confidence in Him. Our only Comfort - Peter Kennedy - Generation to Generation "David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard."—1 Samuel 21:12-13 A certain madness and sadness occurs when we lose our trust in Christ. David Hume was a popular philosopher in the eighteenth century. His works on the natural history of religion look at different cultures and argue that the belief in many gods was the first religion. He saw belief in one God as an evolutionary development. He asserted that fear was the true cause for religion and neither belief in one God nor many gods really mattered. But David Hume's philosophical world took a tumble when his mother fell gravely ill. She was a Christian yet foolishly followed her son's teachings. On her deathbed she wrote, "Dear son, my health has forsaken me. I am failing rapidly; I cannot live much longer. My philosophy affords me no comfort in my distress. I have lost the hope and comfort of religion and am sinking in despair. You can offer me something that will replace the hope of religion that I have lost. Hurry home, I beseech you, to comfort me, or at least write me what consolation you can afford in the hour of death." Hume hurried home, but he did not have any philosophical speculations to comfort his dying mother. Our only comfort in stressful times is Jesus Christ. Do you trust Him with your whole life? In prayer thank the Lord that He is faithful when you are not. Thank Him that He comforts when there is no other comfort. "A great many men say, 'Oh, I have profound reverence and respect for God.' Yes, profound respect, but not faith. Why, it is a downright insult."—D. L. Moody 1 Samuel 21:13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard. BGT 1 Samuel 21:14 (follows Hebrew numbering) καὶ ἠλλοίωσεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ προσεποιήσατο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐτυμπάνιζεν ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις τῆς πόλεως καὶ παρεφέρετο ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπιπτεν ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας τῆς πύλης καὶ τὰ σίελα αὐτοῦ κατέρρει ἐπὶ τὸν πώγωνα αὐτοῦ LXE 1 Samuel 21:13 And he changed his appearance before him, and feigned himself a false character in that day; and drummed upon the doors of the city, and used extravagant gestures with his hands, and fell against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard. KJV 1 Samuel 21:13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. NET 1 Samuel 21:13 He altered his behavior in their presence. Since he was in their power, he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard. CSB 1 Samuel 21:13 so he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them, scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. ESV 1 Samuel 21:13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. NIV 1 Samuel 21:13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. NLT 1 Samuel 21:13 So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. NRS 1 Samuel 21:13 So he changed his behavior before them; he pretended to be mad when in their presence. He scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard. NJB 1 Samuel 21:14 (follows Hebrew numbering) When their eyes were on him, he played the madman and, when they held him, he feigned lunacy. He drummed his feet on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. NAB 1 Samuel 21:14 S (follows Hebrew numbering) o, as they watched, he feigned insanity and acted like a madman in their hands, drumming on the doors of the gate and drooling onto his beard. YLT 1 Samuel 21:13 and changeth his behaviour before their eyes, and feigneth himself mad in their hand, and scribbleth on the doors of the gate, and letteth down his spittle unto his beard. GWN 1 Samuel 21:13 So he changed his behavior when he was in their presence and acted insane as long as he was under their authority. He scribbled on the doors of the city gate and let his spit run down his beard. disguised: Ps 34:1 Pr 29:25 Ec 7:7 1 Samuel 21 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Psalm 34:1 A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. NET NOTE - In this song of thanksgiving the psalmist praises God for delivering him from distress. He encourages others to be loyal to the Lord, tells them how to please God, and assures them that the Lord protects his servants. The psalm heading appears to refer to the account in 1Sa 21:10–15 which tells how David, fearful that King Achish of Gath might kill him, pretended to be insane in hopes that the king would simply send him away. The psalm heading names the king Abimelech, not Achish, suggesting that the tradition is confused on this point. However, perhaps "Abimelech" was a royal title, rather than a proper name. S Psalm 56:1 For the choir director; according to Jonath elem rehokim. A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Ecclesiastes 7:7 (5 Ec 7:7) - [Copy][Go][to List] (7:7) For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart. Scrabble Board FEAR MORPHS INTO FEIGNED INSANITY! So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled (KJV - scrabbled) on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard - No, David was not playing an ancient version of Scrabble! Scrabble makes sense out of letters, but David's letters made nonsense! And this is a man after God's own heart? Yes, but his heart is being trained (today we call it progressive sanctification!) Here David resorts to his own insanity scheme to orchestrate deliverance (an "Oscar winning" dramatic performance), rather than run into the strong tower of the Name of the Lord, where he had previously experienced deliverance and safety (Pr 18:10+). Was this be the one God had called “a man after His own heart?”