And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.
Here is, I. The prevalency of David's fear, which was the effect of the weakness of his faith (Sa1 27:1): He said to his heart (so it may be read), in his communings with it concerning his present condition, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.
Commenting on 1 Samuel 27:1-7
And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines,.... At Gath and Ziklag: was a full year and four months; or "days and four months"; days being sometimes put for a year, Jdg 17:10; though some interpret it not of a year, but of some few days out of the fifth month, besides the four months; so Jarchi and Kimchi; and Josephus...
1Sa 27:7 The statement that David remained a year and four months in the land of the Philistines, is a proof of the historical character of the whole narrative. The ימים before the “four months” signifies a year; strictly speaking, a term of days which amounted to a full year (as in Lev 25:29 : see also 1Sa 1:3, 1Sa 1:20; 1Sa 2:19).