And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: [there is] nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
Ver. 1. And David said in his heart] Not well ballasted with grace, but wherried about with unbelief, Heb 13:9 whilst he consulted not with God as formerly, but with carnal reason, an evil counsellor, and with the rest of his company, as Josephus telleth us, to the scandal of the weak, and scorn of the wicked, besides his own singular disadvantage. For being now out of God's precincts - who had commanded him to come out of Moab into Judea 1 Samuel 22:3 ; 1Sa 22:5 - how could he look for his protection? and if a man put himself amongst Philistines, as David now did, how can he promise himself to come forth innocent?
There is nothing better for me.] Indeed nothing worse; but his fear befooled and betrayed him to many inconveniences, as the sequel showeth. But it is hard for the best man to say how far he will be tempted.