Contact Us

TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

I - Chapter 27

Translation and Transliteration of 

1David said to himself, “Some day I shall certainly perish at the hands of Shaul. The best thing for me is to flee to the land of the Philistines; Shaul will then give up hunting me throughout the territory of Yisrael, and I will escape him.”

vai-YO-mer da-VID el li-BO: a-TAH e-SA-feh yom e-KHAD b'-yad sha-UL, AYN-lee TOV kee hi-MA-let i-MA-let el e-RETZ p'-lish-TIM v'-no-ASH mi-ME-nee sha-UL l'-vak-SHE-nee OD b'-KOL g'-VUL yis-ra-AYL v'-nim-LAT-tee mi-YA-do

אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־לִבּ֔וֹ עַתָּ֛ה אֶסָּפֶ֥ה יוֹם־אֶחָ֖ד בְּיַד־שָׁא֑וּל אֵֽין־לִ֨י ט֜וֹב כִּ֣י הִמָּלֵ֥ט אִמָּלֵ֣ט ׀ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וְנוֹאַ֨שׁ מִמֶּ֤נִּי שָׁאוּל֙ לְבַקְשֵׁ֤נִי עוֹד֙ בְּכׇל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְנִמְלַטְתִּ֖י מִיָּדֽוֹ׃

2So David and the six hundred men with him went and crossed over to King Achish son of Maoch of Gath.

vai-YA-kom da-VID va-ya-a-VOR HU v'-shesh-ME-ot eeSH a-SHER i-MO el a-KHISH ben ma-OKH me-LEKH gat

בוַיָּ֣קׇם דָּוִ֔ד וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר ה֔וּא וְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמּ֑וֹ אֶל־אָכִ֥ישׁ בֶּן־מָע֖וֹךְ מֶ֥לֶךְ גַּֽת׃

3David and his men stayed with Achish in Gath, each man with his family, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Yizraelite and Avigail wife of Naval the Carmelite.

vai-YAY-shev da-VID im a-KHISH b'-GAT HU va-a-NA-shav EESH u-VEI-to da-VID u-she-TAY na-SHAV a-khi-NO-am ha-yiz-re-E-lit va-a-vee-GAYL e-SHET na-VAL ha-kar-m'-LEET

גוַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ דָּוִ֨ד עִם־אָכִ֥ישׁ בְּגַ֛ת ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו אִ֣ישׁ וּבֵית֑וֹ דָּוִד֙ וּשְׁתֵּ֣י נָשָׁ֔יו אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ת וַֽאֲבִיגַ֥יִל אֵֽשֶׁת־נָבָ֖ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית׃

4And when Shaul was told that David had fled to Gath, he did not pursue him any more.

vai-YU-gad l'-sha-UL ki-va-RACH da-VID gat v'-lo [yo-SAF] (yo-SAF) OD l'-vak-SHO.

דוַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְשָׁא֔וּל כִּֽי־בָרַ֥ח דָּוִ֖ד גַּ֑ת וְלֹֽא־[יָסַ֥ף] (יוסף) ע֖וֹד לְבַקְשֽׁוֹ׃

5David said to Achish, “If you please, let a place be granted me in one of the country towns where I can live; why should your servant remain with you in the royal city?”

vai-YO-mer da-VID el a-KHEESH, im-NA ma-TZA-tee KHAYN b'-ay-NE-kha, yi-t'-NU-lee ma-KOM b'-a-KHAT a-REI ha-SA-deh, v'-ay-sh'-VAH SHAM, v'-la-MAH ye-SHEV av-D'-KHA b'-EER ha-mam-la-KHA i-MAYKH

הוַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אָכִ֗ישׁ אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֣י מָק֗וֹם בְּאַחַ֛ת עָרֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וְאֵ֣שְׁבָה שָּׁ֑ם וְלָ֨מָּה יֵשֵׁ֧ב עַבְדְּךָ֛ בְּעִ֥יר הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ׃

6At that time Achish granted him Tziklag; that is how Tziklag came to belong to the kings of Yehuda, as is still the case.

va-yi-ten LO a-KHEESH ba-YOM ha-HU et tzik-LAG la-KHAYN ha-y'-TAH tzik-LAG l'-mal-KHAY y'-hu-DAH AD ha-YOM ha-ZEH

ווַיִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ אָכִ֛ישׁ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא אֶת־צִֽקְלָ֑ג לָכֵ֞ן הָיְתָ֤ה צִֽקְלַג֙ לְמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

 27:6   That is how Tziklag came to belong to the kings of Yehuda

Achish gives David the city of Tziklag as a place for him to dwell. Metzudat David points out that Tziklag was actually part of the designated inheritance of David’s tribe Yehuda, but it had been taken by the Philistines. At various times, many areas of Eretz Yisrael have been conquered by different invaders. Yet, this does not detract from the rights of the People of Israel. Just as Achish enables David to reclaim Tziklag, in 1967 divine Providence allowed the Jewish people to reclaim much of Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heighs and the Gaza Strip during the Six Day War, tripling the size of Israel in less than a week.

7The length of time that David lived in Philistine territory was a year and four months.

vai-HI, mis-PAHR ha-YA-meem a-SHER ya-SHAV da-VEED b'-s'-DEH f'-lish-TEEM, ya-MEEM v'-ar-ba-AH kho-da-SHEEM

זוַֽיְהִי֙ מִסְפַּ֣ר הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יָשַׁ֥ב דָּוִ֖ד בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים יָמִ֖ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה חֳדָשִֽׁים׃

8David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gizrites, and the Amalekites—who were the inhabitants of the region of Olam, all the way to Shur and to the land of Egypt.—

vai-YA-al da-VID va-a-na-SHAV va-yif-sh'-TU el ha-g'-shu-REE (v'-ha-giz-REE) [v'-ha-giz-REE] v'-ha-a-ma-LE-kee, kee he-NAY yo-sh'-VOT ha-A-retz a-SHER me-o-LAM bo-a-KHA shu-RAH v'-ad E-retz mitz-RA-yim

חוַיַּ֤עַל דָּוִד֙ וַאֲנָשָׁ֔יו וַֽיִּפְשְׁט֛וּ אֶל־הַגְּשׁוּרִ֥י (והגרזי) [וְהַגִּזְרִ֖י] וְהָעֲמָלֵקִ֑י כִּ֣י הֵ֜נָּה יֹשְׁב֤וֹת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מֵעוֹלָ֔ם בּוֹאֲךָ֥ שׁ֖וּרָה וְעַד־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

9When David attacked a region, he would leave no man or woman alive; he would take flocks, herds, asses, camels, and clothing. When he returned and came to Achish,

v'-hi-KAH da-VID et ha-A-retz v'-lo ye-kha-YEH eesh v'-i-SHAH v'-la-KAKH tzo-AN u-va-KAR va-kha-MO-reem u-ge-ma-LEEM u-ve-ga-DEEM va-YA-shov va-ya-VO el a-KHEESH

טוְהִכָּ֤ה דָוִד֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יְחַיֶּ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְלָקַח֩ צֹ֨אן וּבָקָ֜ר וַחֲמֹרִ֤ים וּגְמַלִּים֙ וּבְגָדִ֔ים וַיָּ֖שׇׁב וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־אָכִֽישׁ׃

10Achish would ask, “Where did you raid today?” and David would reply, “The Negev of Yehuda,” or “the Negev of the Jerahmeelites,” or “the Negev of the Kenites.”

vai-YO-mer a-KHISH al p'-sha-TEM ha-YOM, vai-YO-mer da-VID al NE-gev y'-hu-DAH v'-al NE-gev ha-y'-ra-kh'-me-AY-lee v'-el NE-gev ha-KEE-nee

יוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָכִ֔ישׁ אַל־פְּשַׁטְתֶּ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗ד עַל־נֶ֤גֶב יְהוּדָה֙ וְעַל־נֶ֣גֶב הַיְּרַחְמְאֵלִ֔י וְאֶל־נֶ֖גֶב הַקֵּינִֽי׃

11David would leave no man or woman alive to be brought to Gath; for he thought, “They might tell about us: David did this.” Such was his practice as long as he stayed in the territory of the Philistines.

v'-ISH v'-i-SHA lo ya-kha-YEH da-VID l'-ha-VEE gat lay-MOR: PEN ya-GI-du a-LE-nu lay-MOR: KO-a-SAH da-VID v'-KOH mish-PA-toh, KOL ha-ya-MEEM a-SHER ya-SHAV bi-s'-DEH f'-lish-TIM.

יאוְאִ֨ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֜ה לֹא־יְחַיֶּ֣ה דָוִ֗ד לְהָבִ֥יא גַת֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פֶּן־יַגִּ֥דוּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־עָשָׂ֤ה דָוִד֙ וְכֹ֣ה מִשְׁפָּט֔וֹ כׇּ֨ל־הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשַׁ֖ב בִּשְׂדֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

12Achish trusted David. He thought: “He has aroused the wrath of his own people Yisrael, and so he will be my vassal forever.”

vai-ya-a-MAYN a-KHISH b'-da-VID lay-MOR: ha-VEYSH hi-v'-EESH b'-a-MO b'-yis-ra-AYL, v'-ha-YA lee l'-E-ved o-LAM.

יבוַיַּאֲמֵ֥ן אָכִ֖ישׁ בְּדָוִ֣ד לֵאמֹ֑ר הַבְאֵ֤שׁ הִבְאִישׁ֙ בְּעַמּ֣וֹ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהָ֥יָה לִ֖י לְעֶ֥בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃