1 Samuel 30:17 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 30:7-20

Solomon observes that the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead, that the just falleth seven times a-day and riseth again; so it was with David. Many were his troubles, but the Lord delivered him out of them all, and particularly out of this of which we have here an account. I. He enquired of the Lord both concerning his duty?Shall I pursue after this troop? and concerning the event?Shall I overtake them? 1 Sam. 30:8. It was a great advantage to David that he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 30:17

And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day ,.... As there are two twilights, the twilight of the morning, and the twilight of the evening; this is differently understood some take it for the twilight of the morning, and that it was night when David came to them, and let them alone till they were drunk and asleep, and then early in the morning fell upon them, and smote them until the evening; so Josephus F19 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 6. relates it; but... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 30:17

There escaped not a man of them - It is well known to every careful reader of the Bible, that the Amalekites were a proscribed people, even by God himself, and that in extirpating them it has been supposed David fulfilled the express will of God. But all this depends on whether he had an express commission to do so, received from God himself, as Saul had. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 30:11-20

The consequences of kindness. The facts are— 1 . Pursuing the Amalekites, David finds an Egyptian slave in distress, and administers to him food and drink. 2 . On being questioned, the man states that his master, who was one of the force destroying Ziklag, had left him there three days before. 3 . On promise of not being delivered up to his master, he engages to act as guide to the rendezvous of the Amalekites. 4 . On coming upon them in the midst of their revels, David... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 30:17

From the twilight . It has been debated whether this means the evening or the morning twilight; but the words which follow, "unto the evening of the next day," literally, "of (or for ) their morrow," seem to prove that it was in the evening that David arrived. Moreover, in the morning they would not have been feasting, but sleeping. David probably attacked them at once, and slew all within reach until nightfall. The next morning the battle was renewed; but as David had but 400 men, and the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 30:16-17

1 Samuel 30:16-17. They were spread upon all the earth Secure and careless, because they were now come almost to the borders of their own country, and the Philistines and Israelites both were otherwise engaged, and David, as they believed, with them. So they had no visible cause of danger; and yet then they were nearest to destruction! David smote them from the twilight The word signifies both the morning and evening twilight. But the latter seems here intended, partly because their... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 30:1-31

David’s victory and Saul’s defeat (30:1-31:13)When David’s men returned to Ziklag, they found it a deserted, burnt out ruin. The Amalekites had raided the cities of Philistia and Judah while all the fighting men were away at war. The shock of losing everything - wives, families and possessions - drove David to total dependence on God. It was the kind of dependence that seems to have been lacking during his sixteen months in Philistia (30:1-8).Assisted by some capable Israelite military... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 30:17

the twilight = the morning. Hebrew. nesheph, a Homonym: meaning (1) darkness, 2 Kings 7:5 , 2 Kings 7:7 . Job 24:15 .Proverbs 7:9 . Isaiah 5:11 ; Isaiah 21:4 ; Isaiah 59:10 . Jeremiah 13:16 ; (2) daylight, 1 Samuel 30:17 . Job 7:4 .Psalms 119:147 . man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Samuel 30:17

1 Samuel 30:17. And David smote them, &c.— The number of Amalekites that fled, was equal to that of all David's forces; and out of self-preservation, he was obliged to put as many of them to the sword as he could, to prevent being surrounded and destroyed by so superior a number. A partial victory, instead of being of any service to him, would have rather turned out to his disadvantage; because the straggling parties might have united, and watched an opportunity of retrieving their defeat... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Samuel 30:16-20

David’s successful victory over the Amalekites 30:16-20The Amalekites were feasting on the plunder that they had taken, although the Egyptian servant had received nothing to eat or drink when he fell ill (cf. 1 Samuel 30:12). David launched his attack early in the morning the next day and continued fighting until night fell. Since 400 of the Amalekites escaped, as many as the total number of David’s soldiers (1 Samuel 30:10), they obviously had a much larger army than David did. The camel was... read more