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
This describes David's desperate escape from King Achish of Gath, a Philistine city, when he was recognized as the famous warrior who had killed Goliath. Realizing he was in mortal danger among Israel's enemies, David acted like he was mentally unstable since ancient cultures often viewed the mentally ill as untouchable or under divine protection. This deception allowed him to escape safely from what could have been his death.
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