And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. THE MEANING OF THE STORY 244. It was clear to David that Saul had determined to kill him. He therefore decided to flee to his own tribe of Judah and to dwell in the mountains where it would be hard for Saul to reach him. The caves in the Judean hills have been the refuge all through the centuries for those who were in danger from the government. In thus fleeing from the king, David became an outlaw, that is, one who refuses to be under the law. Of course he was obliged to do so by the king's tyranny. 245 (§72A). Adullam was probably about twelve miles from Bethlehem. David would have friends near his own town. He gathered to him all his own relatives, who otherwise might have been killed by the king. Three classes of people are mentioned as joining him: who are they? The first would be those who were oppressed, the second those who were likely to be sold as slaves for debt, the third those who had some grievance. It has often happened in countries where there was no free government that men have banded together in sufficient strength to defy the rulers. In English history we read of Robin Hood and his outlaws, who made the rich pay tribute, when they caught them in the forest. Of course in our modern free states there is no excuse for any such life, and we rightly put down all bandits as criminals. How many men did David have at the first? 246 (§72A). News soon came to David that the people of Keilah, a few miles south of Adullam, were being robbed by the old enemies, the Philistines. They had come when the people were threshing the grain, and intended to steal it. How did David use his band of adventurers against the Philistines? What food supply did he secure? 247 (§72A). How was David's expedition brought to an end? How large had his band grown to be? He must have been an able chieftain to attract these men to him. The next story shows how he provided for them. 248 (§72B). Find Maon and Carmel on the map, just south of Hebron. Who was the rich sheep owner? What kind of man was he and what kind of wife had he? It is evident that David's men had protected the shepherds. What request did he make at the time of the shearing feast? Was this a reasonable request? There were so many bands of robbers abroad that it was a great advantage to the Judean shepherds to have David's protection. Of course he in turn needed supplies for his men. 249 (§72B). What answer did Nabal send back? How did he sneer at David's band? What did David decide to do? How did he divide his men?