Shmuel I Chapter 29 | “What Are Those Hebrews?”

David’s deception leads him to join the Philistines in battle against Israel. However, the Philistine commanders distrust the idea of a former Israelite general fighting alongside them and demand his return to Philistine territory.

Commentators debate David’s intentions. Did he genuinely turn against Israel, intending to fight them? Or was he planning to attack the Philistines from behind and bring about a great salvation?

Given David’s consistent behavior, it seems unlikely that he planned to fight against Israel. The same David who refused to harm God’s anointed would not openly fight against the anointed king or the people of Israel. Moreover, David, who had previously deceived Akhish, would likely have continued doing so.

But why doesn’t the Tanakh state this explicitly? Why must we be left to wonder?

It seems the Tanakh wants us to experience the uncertainty that an ordinary Israelite might have felt upon hearing rumors about David. The narrative places us in the shoes of a random Israelite from the tribes of Zevulun, Yehuda, or Efrayim. This person hears about the former commander they once admired, now aligned with the Philistines. In just a few chapters, these Israelites will face a pivotal decision: whether to accept David as their king. At that moment, they must wrestle with the question of whether David betrayed Israel or was a strategic genius. We know David repeatedly lied to Akhish. We know David is reluctant to harm even his enemies, let alone his allies — the people of Israel. But David’s contemporaries didn’t have this certainty.

Often, the focus of a biblical story is not just what happened or even what is explicitly narrated but what is left unsaid. The prophet wants us to read the chapter and, above all, feel the doubt.