Achish (son of Maoch)
아기스 (마옥의 아들)
Named at 1 Samuel 21:10 as the king of Gath. At 21:10–15 David flees for fear of Saul and goes to Achish the king of Gath; the servants of Achish say to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land?”, and David is very afraid of Achish the king of Gath and pretends to be insane; Achish says to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?” 1 Samuel 27:1–2 says that David passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, “to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath”, and 27:3 that David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household; at 27:5–6 David asks for a place in one of the cities in the country, and Achish gives him Ziklag that day; and at 27:9–12 David returns and comes to Achish, Achish says, “Against whom have you made a raid today?”, David says, “Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites”, and Achish believes David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever.” 1 Samuel 28:1–2 has Achish say to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the army, you and your men,” and “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever”; at 29:3–10 the princes of the Philistines are angry, and say to Achish, “Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him,” and Achish calls David and says to him, “Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines.”
Direct relationships 8
Open in the full graphCollected relationship evidence
Source-backed narrative relations; not independent historical verification. Legacy dates and coordinates are outside this review.
Collection & rightsSource evidence (7)
AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 1SA 21:10–15, engwebp
10David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
12David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?
15Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”
- 1SA 27:1–4, engwebp
1David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So I will escape out of his hand.”
2David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
4Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him.
- 1SA 27:5–7, engwebp
5David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
6Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.
7The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
- 1SA 27:8–12, engwebp
8David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.
9David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.
10Achish said, “Against whom have you made a raid today?” David said, “Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.”
11David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”
12Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever.”
- 1SA 28:1–2, engwebp
1In those days, the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the army, you and your men.”
2David said to Achish, “Therefore you will know what your servant can do.” Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever.”
- 1SA 29:1–5, engwebp
1Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel.
2The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.
3Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years? I have found no fault in him since he fell away until today.”
4But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men?
5Isn’t this David, of whom people sang to one another in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
- 1SA 29:6–11, engwebp
6Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don’t favor you.
7Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines.”
8David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9Achish answered David, “I know that you are 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.’
10Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”
11So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
AI-assisted, human review pending, 2026-09-26
Machine comparison on 2026-10-07: the wording raised none of the 3 rules against the passages this entry cites. No person has read it.
Unresolved interpretation: Achish the son of Maoch at 1 Samuel 27:2 and Achish the son of Maacah at 1 Kings 2:39
- 1 Samuel 27:2 says, “David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath”, and 27:3, “David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household”. The Korean Revised Version reads 가드 왕 마옥의 아들 아기스, where 가드 왕 (king of Gath) stands before Maoch.
Source evidence (1)
AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 1SA 27:1–4, engwebp
1David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So I will escape out of his hand.”
2David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
3David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
4Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him.
- 1SA 27:1–4, engwebp
- 1 Kings 2:39 says, “At the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath.” At 2:40 Shimei goes to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves, and brings his slaves from Gath. The Korean Revised Version reads 가드 왕 마아가의 아들 아기스, where 가드 왕 (king of Gath) stands before Maacah.
Source evidence (1)
AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 1KI 2:39–46, engwebp
39At the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath.”
40Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves; and Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.
41Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.
42The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Didn’t I adjure you by the LORD and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and walk anywhere else, you shall surely die’? You said to me, ‘The saying that I have heard is good.’
43Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I have instructed you with?”
44The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to David my father. Therefore the LORD will return your wickedness on your own head.
45But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be established before the LORD forever.”
46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell on him, so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
- 1KI 2:39–46, engwebp
1 Samuel 27:2 names “Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath”, and 1 Kings 2:39 “Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath”. In both editions the two verses give the same name and the title king of Gath, and the father another name (the Korean 마옥 and 마아가, WEB Maoch and Maacah); in the Korean both verses can also be read with the father as the king of Gath. This collection records two men and does not decide whether the two Achishes are one man.
All 8 relationships: AI-assisted, human review pending
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Maoch — Father of — Achish (son of Maoch)
Evidence: 1 Samuel 27:1–4
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Took part in (7) — David flees to Achish the king of Gath and pretends to be insane, David passes over with six hundred men and lives with Achish at Gath, Achish gives David Ziklag, The raids of David and his men, and David’s answer to Achish, The Philistines gather their armies, and what Achish says to David, The princes of the Philistines are angry and say, “Make the man return”, Achish tells David to return, and the Philistines go up to Jezreel
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Verses tagged with this entry
Names in the World English Bible text that carry this entry’s tag. They are carried over from the tags on the Korean Revised Version, which are matched by name inside chapters that already have collected evidence, and a verse where the English says “he” carries none. All await human review. They are a separate list from the source passages above. An empty list does not mean the entry is absent from the text.
David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?
David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.
David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.
Achish said, “Against whom have you made a raid today?” David said, “Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.”
Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever.”
In those days, the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the army, you and your men.”
David said to Achish, “Therefore you will know what your servant can do.” Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever.”
The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.
Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years? I have found no fault in him since he fell away until today.”
Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don’t favor you.
David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
Achish answered David, “I know that you are 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.’
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[Bibliadatum entry report] Entry: Achish (son of Maoch) (person-achish) Address: https://bibliadatum.org/en/wiki/person/achish Current wording: Named at 1 Samuel 21:10 as the king of Gath. At 21:10–15 David flees for fear of Saul and goes to Achish the king of Gath; the servants of Achish say to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land?”, and David is very afraid of Achish the king of Gath and pretends to be insane; Achish says to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?” 1 Samuel 27:1–2 says that David passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, “to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath”, and 27:3 that David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household; at 27:5–6 David asks for a place in one of the cities in the country, and Achish gives him Ziklag that day; and at 27:9–12 David returns and comes to Achish, Achish says, “Against whom have you made a raid today?”, David says, “Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites”, and Achish believes David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he will be my servant forever.” 1 Samuel 28:1–2 has Achish say to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the army, you and your men,” and “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever”; at 29:3–10 the princes of the Philistines are angry, and say to Achish, “Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him,” and Achish calls David and says to him, “Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines.” Cited evidence: 1SA 21:10–15, engwebp / 1SA 27:1–4, engwebp / 1SA 27:5–7, engwebp / 1SA 27:8–12, engwebp / 1SA 28:1–2, engwebp / 1SA 29:1–5, engwebp / 1SA 29:6–11, engwebp Review state: ai-assisted / human-review-pending What looks wrong: (not written yet) --- This collection records what the text says and does not settle interpretation. A report about a reading that divides opinion may be registered as an unresolved issue rather than corrected.