And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
So he changed how he acted in front of them and pretended to be insane while they held him. He scratched at the doors of the gate and let his spit drool down onto his beard.
David pretended to be mentally ill to escape from his enemies who had captured him.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel, David was on the run from King Saul, who was consumed by jealousy and sought to kill him after David had risen to fame. David fled to the Philistine city of Gath, where he feared recognition as the slayer of Goliath, so he pretended to be insane to deceive the local king and his men. This clever act of feigning madness allowed David to escape unharmed and continue his journey as a fugitive under God's protection.
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