Study Desk

The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

David attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he took the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish.

And David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, "Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, 'This is what David has done, and this has been his practice all the time that he has lived in the country of the Philistines.'"

Then Saul said to his servants, "Find for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."

But the woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, that he has eliminated the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then setting a trap for my life, to bring about my death?"

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!"

But the king said to her, "Do not be afraid; but what do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up from the earth."

He said to her, "How does he appear?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

"So now you too, please listen to the voice of your servant, and let me serve you a piece of bread, and eat it, so that you will have strength when you go on your way."

Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; then she took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it.

They also gave him a slice of fig cake and two cakes of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

Then David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" And he said, "I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me when I became sick three days ago.

And David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoils to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, "Behold, a gift for you from the spoils of the enemies of the LORD:

And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it happened when he came to David, he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

Then David said to the young man who informed him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, "I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite."

"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a close friend to me. Your love for me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

Then Abner said to Joab, "Now have the young men arise and hold a martial skills match in our presence." And Joab said, "Have them arise!"

And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and they stood on the top of a hill.