Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
God's promises and His providences often seem to pull in opposite directions, yet this trial of faith is itself how He accomplishes His counsel. David, anointed king, now wanders homeless among Philistines; Israel's darling rejected by his own king, yet sheltered by his nation's enemy. Strange mercy comes often from unexpected hands.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Samuel 21:10-15
Achish had no use for another madman, his own household was disordered enough without adding David to the spectacle. A fool feigning madness gains more safety than an enemy would; Achish simply cast him out, no prison, no execution. The pretense worked because the king saw no threat in lunacy.
AI summary
Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come into my house? (k) Is he fit to be in a king's house.