Achish in the Bible — Hidden Meaning & Symbolism

Achish, a'-chish (Heb.)- angry; serpent-charmer. King of Gath of the Philistines (I Sam. 21:10-15). Meta. A phase of the unregenerate will in which a consuming, destructive thought is uppermost. The Philistines represent the outer sense consciousness, with its lawless, rebellious thoughts and tendencies. Achish was friendly toward David and trusted him; however, the"lords of the Philistines" (the ruling thoughts of the five senses) instinctively felt that David was not one of them. David is symbolical of love, in consciousness, and was a forerunner of Jesus Christ, who brought to light the truth about life. Achish suggests the sense man's mistaken idea that the life forces in the body can be controlled and brought under subjection by the power of the personal will (serpent-charmer), apart from any real discipline of the emotions or uplifting of one's desires.