The Meaning of 1 Samuel 27:3 Explained

1 Samuel 27:3

KJV: And David dwelt 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.

YLT: and David dwelleth with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, even David and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelitess.

Darby: And David abode with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household; David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

ASV: And David dwelt 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  dwelt  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. 

What does 1 Samuel 27:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 27:1-12 - Substituting Policy For Trust
David had every assurance that he would be king. From Samuel, Jonathan and Saul he had heard predictions of his coming exaltation; yet suddenly he seems to have had a fainting-fit and to have concluded that he would after all perish by the hand of Saul. It was thus with Elijah under the juniper bush, when he asked God to take away his life; and thus with the Baptist, when from prison he sent to ask whether Jesus was the Christ. Let us not sink into despair when the shadow of discouragement falls across our path. Let us believe that God's word shall stand though the heavens fall. Let us especially beware of taking our own measures of self-defense. The caves of Adullam are safer for the child of God than the land of the Philistines. David was driven to ruthless cruelty; he went about under the constant fear of discovery, and lived a perpetual lie. It was a life of deceit that was wholly unworthy of a servant of the Most High, and must have had a fatal effect on David's followers. And, in the end, Ziklag was destroyed, and the exile's heart was well-nigh broken. See 1 Samuel 30:1-4. "The way of the transgressor is hard!" No psalms can be traced to this period. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 27

1  Saul, hearing David to be in Gath, seeks no more for him
5  David begs Ziklag of Achish
8  He, invading other countries, persuades Achish he fought against Judah

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 27:3 mean?

So dwelt David with Achish at Gath he and his men each man and with his household [and] David and two with his wives Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail widow of Nabal the Carmelitess
וַיֵּשֶׁב֩ דָּוִ֨ד עִם־ אָכִ֥ישׁ בְּגַ֛ת ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו אִ֣ישׁ וּבֵית֑וֹ דָּוִד֙ וּשְׁתֵּ֣י נָשָׁ֔יו אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ית וַאֲבִיגַ֥יִל אֵֽשֶׁת־ נָבָ֖ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית

וַיֵּשֶׁב֩  So  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
דָּוִ֨ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אָכִ֥ישׁ  Achish 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָכִישׁ  
Sense: Philistine king of Gath.
בְּגַ֛ת  at  Gath 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּת  
Sense: one of the five royal or chief cities of the Philistines and the native city of Goliath.
וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו  and  his  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אִ֣ישׁ  each  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וּבֵית֑וֹ  and  with  his  household 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
דָּוִד֙  [and]  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וּשְׁתֵּ֣י  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, fdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
נָשָׁ֔יו  with  his  wives 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙  Ahinoam 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲחִינׄעַם  
Sense: wife of Saul, daughter of Ahimaaz.
הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ית  the  Jezreelitess 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִזְרְעֵאלִי  
Sense: a female inhabitant of Jezreel.
וַאֲבִיגַ֥יִל  and  Abigail 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲבִיגַיִל  
Sense: wife of Nabal, then of David.
אֵֽשֶׁת־  widow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
נָבָ֖ל  of  Nabal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבָל  
Sense: a man of Carmel who spurned David’s messengers, then died of shock when he realised it might cause his death; his case was pleaded by his wife Abigail who became David’s wife after his death.
הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית  the  Carmelitess 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּרְמְלִי  
Sense: a female inhabitant of Carmel.