1 Now in those days the Philistines got their forces together to make war on Israel. And Achish said to David, Certainly you and your men are to go out with me to the fight.
Now the Philistines got all their army together at Aphek: and the Israelites put their forces in position by the fountain in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines went on with their hundreds and their thousands, and David and his men came after with Achish. Then the rulers of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me for a year or two, and I have never seen any wrong in him from the time when he came to me till now?
Now these are the nations which the Lord kept in the land for the purpose of testing Israel by them, all those who had had no experience of all the wars of Canaan; Only because of the generations of the children of Israel, for the purpose of teaching them war--only those who up till then had no experience of it; The five chiefs of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites and the Zidonians and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from the mountain Baal-hermon as far as Hamath: For the purpose of testing Israel by them, to see if they would give ear to the orders of the Lord, which he had given to their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 28
Commentary on 1 Samuel 28 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 28
Preparations are herein making for that war which will put an end to the life and reign of Saul, and so make way for David to the throne. In this war,
1Sa 28:1-6
Here is,
1Sa 28:7-14
Here,
1Sa 28:15-19
We have here the conference between Saul and Satan. Saul came in disguise (v. 8), but Satan soon discovered him, v. 12. Satan comes in disguise, in the disguise of Samuel's mantle, and Saul cannot discover him. Such is the disadvantage we labour under, in wrestling with the rulers of the darkness of this world, that they know us, while we are ignorant of their wiles and devices.
1Sa 28:20-25
We are here told how Saul received this terrible message from the ghost he consulted. He desired to be told what he should do (v. 15), but was only told what he had not done and what should be done to him. Those that expect any good counsel or comfort otherwise than from God, and in the way of his institutions, will be as wretchedly disappointed as Saul here was. Observe,