The Hebrew name Akish (אֲכִישׁ) is the name of a Philistine king of Gath who appears prominently in David's wilderness years. The name's etymology is uncertain; some derive it from an Egyptian root meaning "how is this?" or "only a man." Akish is one of the most vividly portrayed non-Israelite rulers in the Old Testament.
David fled to Akish of Gath twice during his fugitive years. In his first visit (1 Samuel 21), David pretended to be insane when Akish's servants identified him as the famous warrior — a desperate survival tactic. Akish dismissed him, saying "Am I short of madmen?" In his second visit (1 Samuel 27), David lived among the Philistines with his fighting men for sixteen months, deceiving Akish about his raiding targets. Providence protected David through this morally complex chapter: God used even a pagan king's loyalty and credulity to shelter His anointed one until the proper time. Akish reappears in the Psalm headings tradition and in 1 Kings 2:40 (as a Gathite king in Solomon's time).