ACHIS (CBR. 'AKHĪSH; SETTANTA 'AYYĀZQŌS CHE RICHIAMA 'AYYĀZQŌS; CF. I-KA-U-SU DELLE ISCRIZIONI ASSIRE DEL SEC. VII)

ACHISH (Hebr. 'Akhīsh; Septuagint 'Ayyāzqōs, which recalls 'Ayyāzqōs; cf. I-ka-u-su in Assyrian inscriptions of the 7th century). — Son of Maoch and king (sēren) of Gath, one of the five Philistine satraps, contemporary with David. After being saved at Nob by the high priest Ahimelech (v.), David sought refuge with A., but was recognized by the courtiers because of his slaying of Goliath. Pretending to be mad, David was sent away by A. (1 Sam. 21:11-16). The title of Ps. 33 (34):1 refers to this episode, though the name is corrected in the Masoretic text to Abimelech or in the Vulgate to Ahimelech. Later, David returned to Gath as a renowned raider with a band of 600 men and was well received by A., who gave him the city of Ziklag. From there David raided the Amalekites, Geshurites, and Girzites, while A., to whom he gave a share of the spoil, claimed to be fighting against Israel. A. wished to take David and his men with him on the campaign against Israel that ended at Gilboa with the death of Saul, but the other chiefs, less naive than he, opposed it (1 Sam. 27 and 29). In Solomon’s time, A. returned to Shimei (v.) his escaped slaves (1 Kgs. 2:39-40). Unless this refers to another man of the same name (A. may have been a hereditary name), A.’s reign at Gath lasted at least fifty years.