Achish

Achish son of Maoch was the Philistine king of Gath during David's fugitive years, and twice gave the future king of Israel refuge — the only Philistine ruler scripture treats with anything approaching warmth.

**First flight (1 Samuel 21:10-15).** Fleeing alone from Saul after the priest Ahimelech's death at Nob, David came to Achish at Gath. The servants of the king recognized him at once: 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? David, sore afraid, feigned madness — scrabbling on the gates of the city, drooling into his beard — until Achish dismissed him: Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? Psalm 34's superscription places this scene before *Abimelech* — likely the Philistine dynastic title rather than a separate man.

**Second flight (1 Samuel 27–29).** Some years later, with six hundred men and two wives, David came again to Achish and was given the city of Ziklag as a base. For sixteen months David raided the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites — peoples south of Judah — while telling Achish he had been raiding the south of Judah itself. Achish trusted him completely (he hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever). When the Philistine lords gathered for the campaign that would kill Saul at Mount Gilboa, Achish wanted David in his bodyguard; the other Philistine commanders refused to trust him and sent him home, sparing David the impossible position of fighting against Israel.

**Possible later mention (1 Kings 2:39-40).** Forty years on, two of Shimei's slaves flee to *Achish son of Maachah king of Gath.* Whether this is the same Achish in his old age, his son, or a later king of the same dynastic name is not certain; Smith's and most modern dictionaries treat him as a successor.