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1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish. 3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day? 4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not. 7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines. 8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? 9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. 10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart. 11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
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[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:1
But also Israel encamped by the fountain, etc. The fountain which was in Jezreel, that is, in the seed of God, indicates the baptismal washing, by which the children of the Church are regenerated through the grace of the Holy Spirit. If therefore you understand the unbelieving Jews, or the heretics worse than unbelievers, figured in the name of Israel, both place their treacherous camps over the fountain of renewing grace; one through pride by despising it, the other through heresy by violating it.

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:2
And the satraps of the Philistines indeed marched by the hundreds, etc. Understand the last contingent either by the merit of humility or by the order of time. For in every age of the world, the nations of the gentiles have set up in battle array against the Jews, since that nation was founded, and strive to defeat them by hand or mouth; but also against the heretics, because they are a portion of the Church, burning with a similar mind due to envy of the name of Christ, the Lord appears humble and despised by those chosen from the secular world; because the children of this age are wiser in their generation than the children of light (Luke XVI). He also, having incarnated in his time, and in the fullness of times, appeared humble to the world, showing examples of humility, rejection, and poverty outwardly to his followers, whom he instructed within on how desirable it is to be mighty in hand for defeating the proud, and in blessing the submissive.

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:3
The princes of the Philistines said: What do these Hebrews want? The pagans despise the life, society, and doctrine of the faithful of Christ, who are justly called Hebrews, that is, those who pass over; because they now know how to transit from vices to virtues, in the future to hope for a passage from death to life, to transcend the low desires of the flesh, and likewise all the adversities of the world, the soaring heights of a humble mind.

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:3
And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, etc. Achish praising the friendship of David, the angry princes of the Philistines avoid his companionship in battle, fearing his fighting prowess as fame spreads. Finally, among other things they say:

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:3
Is this not David? etc. While the Church of the nations praises the faith in Christ, through which eternal life is deserved, angry philosophers and priests of idols fear to believe in Him, whose word they mourn has destroyed their worship and wisdom; they see His triumph over the ancient enemy being celebrated in the unanimous chorus of the holy Church, one which no other could have merited, they refuse to unite themselves to His members, to be subject to His rule by receiving faith.

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:3
And Achish called David, and said to him, etc. Achish himself indeed declares David to be upright, innocent, and good, as an angel of God; but so as not to offend the eyes of the Philistine princes, he orders him to withdraw from the battle, in peace, with anger. The crowd of believers from the nations praises, loves, and proclaims Christ's justice, mercy, and holiness, as of Him who was sent by God for the salvation of the nations, but prays that the word should not be entrusted to blasphemous and proud leaders of idolatry, lest by hearing and not believing they incur a greater judgment; and it urges the Lord, as it were, to be content to rest in the calm and serene hearts of believers, rather than offering Himself to the non-believing by preaching, thus providing a cause for scandals and persecutions.

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:6
I know that you are good in my eyes, etc. And the Church, excelling in the praises of the Lord, even adds this: Indeed, I myself know, and with the opened eyes of faith I understand the goodness of your heavenly grace, and that you are the one of whom the prophet foretold: And his name will be called the angel of great counsel (Isaiah IX); that is, the messenger of the Father's will. But the princes of doctrines and cultures of the nations, spurning the help of your protection, trust that they should be saved by their own virtue and industry.

Source: Commentary on Samuel
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Samuel 29:11
The Philistines had gone up to Jezreel. When David departed with his men, the Philistines went up to Jezreel, that is, to combat in the seed of God, where they had previously assembled in Aphek, that is, in the new wrath. And the reprobates often, having driven away the stronger doctors of the Church from their proximity, exert all their strength to corrupt the weaker ones, whom, out of respect or fear of the former, although raging in spirit, they had previously not presumed to touch and disturb. Not only those who carry arms or argue against the good, but also those who, presenting examples of depravity under the name of brothers, display them to the sight of the pious, ascending into Jezreel, that is, the seed of God, try to infect it with the tares of diabolic seed. We see and hear that the mysteries of this reading are being fulfilled even today in many places, driving the Lord from the hearts of many, and oppressing His chosen ones; but with the approach of the world's end, with the heaps of evils growing, we do not doubt in trembling fear that they must be fulfilled more and more.

Source: Commentary on Samuel