1 Samuel 27:1

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

I shall perish — But this was certainly a very great fault in David: for1. This proceeded from gross distrust of God's promise and providence; and that after such repeated demonstrations of God's peculiar care over him2. He forsakes the place where god had settled him, chap22:5, and given him both assurance and experience of his protection there3. He voluntarily runs upon that rock, which he cursed his enemies for throwing him upon, chap26:19, and upon many other snares and dangers, as the following history will shew; and withal, deprives the people of the Lord of those succours which he might have given them, in case of a battle. But God hereby designed to withdraw David from the Israelites, that they might fall by the hand of the Philistines, without any reproach or inconvenience to David.