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Achish

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Philistine king of Gath who sheltered David during his flight from Saul

Detailed Definition
Achish, king of Gath, granted David refuge and even assigned him the town of Ziklag, though Philistine nobles distrusted David (1 Samuel 21, 27–29). His ambiguous trust highlights David’s precarious exile. In poetry, Achish represents the uneasy alliance between enemies, the foreign patron who unknowingly aids destiny, and the irony of divine protection through pagan hands—often symbolizing providence working through unlikely intermediaries.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Regained," Achish’s hospitality to David prefigures themes of refuge and disguise; In Alfred Tennyson’s "King David," Achish’s trust in David highlights the complexity of loyalty; In Robert Browning’s "Saul," Philistine kings like Achish represent worldly power blind to divine truth; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Seraphim," Achish’s court contrasts with David’s anointed humility; In William Cowper’s hymns, Achish symbolizes the danger of misplaced trust; In George Herbert’s "The Church Militant," Achish’s realm is a type of spiritual exile.
Additional Notes
Achish: Philistine king of Gath who sheltered David (1 Samuel 21, 27); his ambiguous trust in David offers rich dramatic irony. In poetry, Achish may represent the “noble enemy” or the limits of political asylum. His name appears in contexts of disguise, exile, and cultural liminality—ideal for poems about identity, deception, or survival in hostile lands.
Also Known As
Achish king of Gath
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