1 Samuel 29:4
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?
And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him,.... With Achish, for giving such a character of David, and taking his part, in order to detain him, if possible:
And the princes of the Philistines said unto him, make this fellow return; they speak of him with contempt, and insist on it that Achish order him to turn back, and go no further with them:
that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him; to Ziklag, the place that Achish had given him for his residence, 1 Samuel 27:6; they did not desire to have him sent to his own country, and to Saul, since should a reconciliation be made between them, he would be of great service to Saul against them:
and let him not go down with us to battle; into the valley of Jezreel, where the Israelites had pitched:
lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: and fall upon them behind, being in the rear, while they were engaging in the front with Israel:
for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? to Saul he had offended, and fled from:
should it not be with the heads of these men? the Philistines; or unless by the heads of these men {m}; he had no other way of making his peace with his master but by cutting off the heads of the Philistines; and therefore he was a dangerous man to take with them into the battle.
{m} yvarb alh "nisi per capita", Noldius, p. 257. No. 1147.