שמואל א, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י׳

Achish, king of Gath, issues a firm order for David and his band of warriors to leave the Philistine camp and turn back, yielding to the fierce demands of the Philistine commanders. The king's directive is urgent yet careful, as he attempts to balance the deep suspicions of his military leaders with his desire to protect David's dignity and safety. The dismissal is directed not only at David but also at his men, who are recognized as former servants of King Saul. The Philistine commanders harbor the exact same distrust toward these men as they do toward David. Since the men had also rebelled against Saul and fallen out of his favor, the commanders fear their loyalties, requiring the entire group to depart together [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Achish stresses that the departure must happen at the very beginning of the morning, driven by several critical reasons. First, David must execute the order swiftly and without debate. Any hesitation, refusal, or attempt to plead his case would only validate the commanders' worst fears—that David had indeed arrived with a secret plan to fight on behalf of Saul [חומת אנך]. Furthermore, being expelled from a military camp is a deeply shameful experience. Leaving in the early morning hours allows the men to slip away before the rest of the camp is active and people can recognize them [מלבי״ם]. This early exit also serves a practical, protective purpose, ensuring that David and his men are not attacked by hostile Philistine soldiers [רלב״ג].

Despite this pressing urgency, the group cannot simply flee into the dark of night; they must wait for the morning [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. There is a careful, deliberate sequence to their departure. The men are instructed to wake up and physically exit the camp while it is still early to avoid both danger and public humiliation, but their actual journey along the open roads will only begin afterward [מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that they are to wait just until the day brightens, at which point they can safely travel back on their way.