David finds himself navigating a delicate relationship with Achish, the Philistine king of Gath. To survive and build trust, David must carefully manage the reports of his military operations. When the two meet, the king naturally questions David about his recent activities. The commentators offer different ways to understand the exact nature of the king's inquiry. Some explain that Achish simply asks where or upon whom David and his men directed their attack [רש"י, רד"ק, חומת אנך, רלב"ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others suggest that the king asks with a tone of surprise, wondering if David had actually spent the day doing nothing and failing to go out to battle [מלבי"ם, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד"ק, אברבנאל]. In either case, the king is asking about their raids, which involved soldiers spreading out and sweeping across the land to wage war and gather spoils [מצודת ציון, רד"ק].
David replies with a highly calculated answer, listing specific regions in the south [מצודת ציון, רד"ק]. He names the territory of Judah, the Jerahmeelites—a prominent family within the tribe of Judah—and the Kenites, who were descendants of Jethro that had converted, joined the Israelites, and settled within Judah's borders [מצודת ציון, רד"ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל].
The primary approach among commentators is that David's response is an intentional deception. By claiming to attack his own people and their close allies, David creates the illusion that he is making himself hated by the Israelites. This leads Achish to believe that David is now entirely dependent on him, successfully earning the Philistine king's complete trust [מלבי"ם, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. To ensure this cover story remains secure, David is careful not to leave any survivors from his actual raids against the enemies of the Philistines, preventing anyone from coming forward to expose the truth [אברבנאל].
On a deeper level, some note that God guides the exact phrasing of the king's question to prevent David from having to speak an outright lie. Because Achish phrases his question in the negative—asking if David had not raided—David can list the southern territories of Judah with a hidden, truthful meaning. His internal intent is that he had indeed not attacked these places, even though Achish understands the answer to mean the exact opposite [חומת אנך].