David Feigned Himself Mad (1 Samuel 21:10-15; Psalm 34:1-22)
2026-01-10
Review
David had begun his being on the run from King Saul. The fugitive ran to Samuel in Naioth, and the Spirit of the Lord stopped Saul from getting to David. Then David went to Jonathan, where we found that Saul had deceived his own son about his evil intentions for David. Then David went to Ahimelech the priest, where he and his men received food, old shewbread, while on the run. David also received the sword of Goliath from the priest. Here we pick up the narrative. The narrative can be found in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.
David Goes to Gath
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. (1 Samuel 21:10)
The next stop for David is Gath, one of the five major cities of the Philistines, which is outside the kingdom of Israel. Achish was the king of Gath, which means he was one of the five lords of the Philistines at this time. Throughout the book so far, the Philistines were staunch enemies of Saul and Israel, so David’s choice to go there for protection was logical in his opinion.
As we see in this passage, David does not get too far with Achish this time. We do not see him making any petition to him. We can infer from the text that David went to the king to harbor him from Saul and grant him safe haven from his enemy.
David’s Fame Precedes Him
And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? (1 Samuel 21:11)
Do you hear the servants of the king? “Is not this David the king of the land?” These men knew that David was going to be the next king of Israel. They knew something about the fame of the shepherd boy who was anointed king. They heard the women’s song and dance about David being superior to King Saul because of the fame of Goliath, who was from Gath. Recall the original story when David had just slain Goliath:
And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. (7) And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. (8) And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? (9) And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. (1 Samuel 18:6-9)
This little jingle was the turning point of Saul’s and David’s relationship forever. Saul knew that the people held David in higher esteem, and now this fame extended beyond the borders of Israel. Later, the Philistines remembered this same little song and refused to have David fight along side them (1 Samuel 29:5). The story of David enshrined in a little song kept teaching of his fame for years into the future.
David’s Deception
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. (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. (1 Samuel 21:12-13)
What does it mean when he “laid up these words in his heart”? Consider:
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
The Word of God was supposed to remain in the hearts of the Israelites, and it meant that they should ponder the words and it should affect their lives. The LORD told the prophet Ezekiel, “Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears” (Ezekiel 3:10). The prophet was to warn the captive people to turn from their sins. But first, what? The prophet had to receive those words and meditate on them and own them before he could preach it to others.
The words of that song had new impact on David, hearing it from the Philistines. He knew that his fame as a mighty man preceded him. They all knew that David would supersede the son of Kish.
But recall, how is David doing at this moment? He was coming for asylum. He has been on the run for a while. He had been to Michal his wife, and Samuel the prophet, and Jonathan his closest friend. While the closest people in his life all helped him to a degree, they could not help David forever. He was at his wits’ end.
He was at a low point where he was asking the pagan Philistines of Gath, who hated Israel, whose champion he slew, for help. Goliath was from this city! Now he hears this little tune that made him famous. These pagans thought him to be a mighty man and would be their new rival.
This little song was a praise to David, not the LORD, and he knew he could not live up to the image it provided. Surely, he did not look or feel mighty, neither did he feel dignified. He felt afraid. We see his response: “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.”
Why did David fake insanity? I propose he did so to elicit compassion from the king.
Have you ever contrived behavior to elicit a response? How did it work out? Is it better just to tell people what is going on rather than partially concealing it?
We see that this feigning crazy behavior did not work out for the son of Jesse.
Achish Responds to the Mad Man
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? (15) Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house? (1 Samuel 21:14-15)
Whatever reputation David had was ignored. He may have slain Achish’s champion Goliath, but now he was scratching on his gates and drooling all over himself. Who wants to help somebody like that? Would you want to invite weirdos into your home and help them?
We are called to be compassionate as believers, but we are not always required to bring people into our homes if they cause a risk to our families. Recall the warning to the “elect lady,” which likely is a church:
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (10) If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed (2 John 1:9-10)
This is why we would not invite a Jehovah’s Witness into our house. They will bring a bunch of lies into our house and our children will hear all that rot. We must protect our families. Likewise, we protect our families from people that are mentally unstable that may cause harm. Achish protected his home from that.
From a practical standpoint, we see some humor here. “Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence?”
We see that regardless of reputation, if one’s behavior does not match the reputation, it is fruitless:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
You may have the light, but if you hide it, the people around you will just see darkness. They will not only not glorify God or be edified; they will be disgusted. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). The world cannot see faith, but they sure can see works. Our works need to match our faith.
Again, we read, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). The LORD indeed looks at the heart, but that does not negate that people only see the appearance. Therefore, our outward appearance should conform to our heart.
David’s Learning from the Experience
Psalm 34 is a psalm of David where he recounts this event at Gath. We will look for keys that tie this psalm to the narrative in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. How are they the same, and what are the differences? I am taking the position that this psalm documents what he learned from being rejected at Gath, not necessarily what he was doing or believing while at Gath. It also demonstrates God’s faithfulness as he came and went from Gath.
Achish’s Royal Title, Abimelech
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour 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. (Psalm 34:1)
The first part here is the title. Many honest and godly people do not consider these titles a part of the inspired text. I do consider them a part of the inspired text. I do not have any quarrel with those who argue to the contrary.
In the Hebrew text, these titles are a separate verse. In that text, the title is Psalm 34:1, and the rest of the verses are off by one from our text, making a total of 23 verses rather than 22. Whoever added the numbering thought them as part of the inspired text.
The first thing you notice is that rather than seeing the name Achish you see the name Abimelech. Abimelech (“father is king” or “father of the king”, etc.) is a title of some of the kings of the Philistines as evidenced in the days of Abraham and Isaac.
When Abraham was 99 years old, we read, “Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines” (Genesis 21:32). Abimelech was a king of Gerar, which was a city of the Philistines.
Years later, after Abraham’s death (he lived 175 years), a similar story appears with Isaac. We read, “Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army” (Genesis 26:26). Are these the same Abimelech and Phichol? Probably not. These are likely titles. The fact that Achish is also called Abimelech gives credence to this. A much more common example of titles used in the Bible is “Pharaoh.” The Pharaoh of Abraham’s day is not the same one that Moses stood up to, yet both are called, “Pharaoh.”
All Times and Continually
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour 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. (2) My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. (3) O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:1-3)
Constant praise. In Psalm 34:1, what is readily apparent is the use of “all times” and “continually.” If we bless and praise the LORD in every situation, regardless of how bleak the situation is, things will turn out much better.
While at Gath, do we see any evidence of David praising the LORD? Rather, we see the opposite. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). If our faith is in the LORD and gratitude for His provision, we are going to have that sound mind. We are not going to be acting crazy, real or contrived.
Notice also how it does not mention supplication or intreating. Praise implies the work is done. David could look back in retrospect and see that despite his strange behavior, God carried him through.
Were you ever in a predicament and wondered how you could ever get through it? How sweet was it when you looked back and the LORD faithfully carried you through it? Perhaps this was David’s thought as he penned these words from the Spirit?
Boasting in the LORD and Humility. Gratitude and praise come from a humble heart and ascribing greatness to the LORD and not to ourselves. “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17). And again, “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith” (Romans 3:27). And again, “But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah” (Psalm 44:7-8). We have nothing to offer in the scheme of life. Every good and perfect thing is from above and from the LORD.
When David was in Gath, do you think he was boasting in the LORD, or something else? He was hearing his victory song on the lips of the enemy. The song rehearsed how his acts were mightier than King Saul’s. Because of this ascribed greatness to himself and the realization that he could not live up to it, he fell apart.
There are two prides. “Look at me and how great I am!” or “Look at me, poor me.” The answer is to look to the LORD and get out of the way completely. Whether I am wonderful or terrible is totally irrelevant. Only the faithfulness of the LORD matters.
After all that David had been through, he now asked the hearer of this psalm to magnify the LORD with him.
Delivered from Fear
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (5) They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. (6) This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:4-6)
David was delivered from his fear once He sought the Lord. This sounds to me that David sought the Lord after this event at Gath, and not during the event. After the events at Gath, we see that David acquired 400 men that followed him, and he briefly saw his parents. There was a brief time of refreshing before the next ordeal.
We see that all his fears were assuaged by the LORD. This applies to everyone. Looking to the LORD helps us: (1) be “lightened” or cheered up and (2) not be ashamed. When David was in Gath, he was not cheered and he acted very shamefully. Once he finally went before the LORD, he found comfort.
David was saved “out of all his troubles.” We can confidently say this, just like David said this before all his troubles ended. Consider the apostle Paul at the end of his life:
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (18) And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:17-18)
Paul was on trial and about to be put to death. The people that were supposed to testify in his favor abandoned him. But the apostle could confidently say, “I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom.” The exact same promise applies to all of us who have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fear the LORD, Not Man
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (8) O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (9) O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. (Psalm 34:7-9)
The Word of God commands that we “fear him.” I have heard it said that fear of the LORD is not really fear, but being in awe of Him. It is true that we must be in awe of Him, but the fear of the LORD is real fear and real terror. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences” (2 Corinthians 5:11).
Did David fear the LORD in Gath? It sounds like he was more afraid of Achish the king and his circumstances. This is not criticism of David, for his behavior is the behavior of every person not having confidence in the LORD at a given time.
The Angel of the LORD is often a Christophany. In other words, this Angel is a preincarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ (at least in most cases). This is likely a gross oversimplification. However, this Angel is powerful and can defend His people to the uttermost.
When Jacob was blessing his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh, we read, “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Genesis 48:16). What is “redeemed”? He was bought back and brought back from destruction and restored to the Lord.
Again, we read, “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared” (Exodus 23:20). The LORD promised His people that His Angel would go before them to go into the promised land. From there, we know the people, though weaker than the Canaanites, conquered the land because of this Angel’s power.
This same Angel watched over David. Today, the LORD Jesus Christ is sovereign over our lives and leads us to reflect more of Him: “God with us” who is with us always, even unto the end of the world.
Taste and See. The invitation for one to see the Lord’s goodness will lead to seeing His faithfulness develop over time.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:2-3)
As David looked back over time, he could see how the Lord brought Him through his trials. I think that this moment at Gath was a pivotal moment for David. He had to decide whether he was going to follow the LORD or do things his own way. It is the same with any of us. David came to this place, and while he was not perfect for the rest of his life, he persevered better from this point forward after Gath. When we fear the LORD, we experience real peace amid our hardships.
In His Power
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. (11) Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (Psalm 34:10-11)
Lions are among the strongest, most ferocious animals. Even the strongest of the beasts the LORD created gets tired. They need to hunt. They need rest. They eventually die. These weaknesses do not apply to the LORD. Consider the famous passage:
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. (29) He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: (31) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
The sentiment here is the same. The most powerful and active men get tired. Everything in God’s creation is finite and is created to be dependent on food and water and rest.
The LORD has unlimited resources within Himself and can provide for His people. Consider this:
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. (11) I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. (12) If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. (Psalm 50:10-12)
We do not want to undermine the necessity of getting good rest and nutrition. However, for us to keep going given the stressors of life we must depend on God, the One who has unlimited resources. We cannot truly persevere in any task without being empowered from above.
At Gath, we saw how David was exhausted and discouraged after a series of letdowns and being constantly on the run. I think it is here at Gath he learned that he must trust in the LORD. His trials did not end here. Who knows how long he was on the run, but it was a long time before he made it to the throne in Hebron.
Because David learned this lesson of depending on the LORD for his needs, he is eager to tell others about the One who gave him strength.
Practical Advice for Life
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? (13) Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. (14) Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm 34:12-14)
Some commandments have practical outcomes, like these. Another famous example would be “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). If you do certain things, they will lengthen your life. Controlling what you say is one such thing. You can cause harm with the tongue, and in our situation in Gath, saying the wrong thing could get one in trouble. This is a longer discussion, but we will stop here.
What did David say to Achish and his servants? We do not know, but it was probably not anything helpful. By the grace of God, the LORD carried Him through.
“Depart from evil” may sound familiar from somewhere. “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). This is practical advice; knowing that the LORD rewards good and punishes evil will help you make wise choices. Seeking and pursuing peace is good. Surely David sought peace with the king, but he did not do it the right way, and he was sent away.
The LORD Sees and Hears Us
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. (16) The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. (17) The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (Psalm 34:15-17)
Though David did not seek the LORD perfectly (or much at all) while at Gath, we see that God saw Him through by grace. If David had remembered the grace of God in that hour, things would have ended differently. Perhaps he would not have gone to Gath at all had he cried out to God at first.
Have you ever gone through a situation, spinning your wheels, and realized that you should have rested in the LORD from the beginning? Did you ever exhaust your resources, only to say, “all I can do is pray”? Prayer and dependence on God are not the last resort; these are the only option for every trial you face. God delivers not only from hell; He delivers from everything.
Broken Heart, Contrite Spirit
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. (20) He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. (21) Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. (22) The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. (Psalm 34:18-22)
When David committed adultery later in his life, he said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). The adjectives on the nouns “heart” and “spirit” are reversed. Confessing that we are sinfully weak is what we need. Riding the coattails of success while in the service of King Saul would do nothing but foster pride. God works in weakness and not strength. Easier said than done.
For us, we should assume that afflictions and tribulation are a part of the Christian life. Even from the beginning this was true, when Cain killed Abel. “For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know” (1 Thessalonians 3:4).
David’s life closely mirrors the Lord Jesus’ life. There was a large gap between David’s anointing and his enthronement, and the same is with the Lord. Jesus is still not enthroned in Jerusalem to this day.
David suffered a lot. Even after he was king, his own son chased him from Jerusalem. As David learned the things he wrote of in this psalm, he became equipped to handle the afflictions.
The statement about the righteous’ bones is a hint of the life of Jesus. “For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:36). This quotation concerns the Passover lamb, but this reference in Psalm 34:20 also applies.
The LORD is sovereign over the lives of His people; what remains for us is to believe this truth and depend on Him.
David’s Second Trip to Gath
What happened when David learned these lessons that he recorded in the Psalms? We know that he was equipped to handle trials a lot better. However, he also had a second go-around at Gath with the same king.
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. (2) And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. (3) And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. (4) And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. (5) And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? (6) Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. (1 Samuel 27:1-6)
When he depended on the LORD, David found favor in the eyes of Achish, and the king gave him a city, which he retained when he became king over Judah and Israel. While there, David prepared for when he would be king. Again, he did not live perfectly there, but he could handle everything that came his way.
Conclusions
The best way to see Psalm 34 is less of what David did while he was at Gath, but rather looking back at the faithfulness of God seeing Him through. Seeing the LORD’s faithfulness helped the son of Jesse trust Him throughout the rest of his fugitive years and to the end of his earthly life.
We see how the elements discussed in the psalm reflect God’s faithfulness, David’s failure, and lessons learned from the entire event. There is a beautiful synthesis between the psalm’s heart issues and the historical events in 1 Samuel.
If we can see God’s faithfulness in the past, both in our personal lives and in the fulfillment of all Scripture in the person of Jesus Christ, we can avoid a lot of heartache when confronted with challenges.