Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Commentary Critical and Explanatory

1 Samuel 27:11

And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

David saved neither man nor woman alive, [the Septuagint has correctly rendered this clause, kai ouk ezooogonei andra ee gunaika],

To bring tidings to Gath, saying. [The Septuagint represents this as a part of David's answer to Achish, kai andra kai gunaika ouk exooogoneesa tou eisagagein eis Geth, and I have not saved man or wench alive, saying, etc.] But Josephus ('Antiquities,' b. 6:, ch. 13:, sec. 10), in his concern for the reputation of David, glosses over the cruel massacre, and merely says, as if nothing more had been done than carrying off booty, 'he took much prey of their beasts and camels, and then returned home; but David abstained from the men, as fearing they should discover him to king Achish.'

Continues after advertising

See also 1 Samuel 27:11 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    TIDINGS - The word is not in the original. The sense rather is “to bring them to Gath,” as captives and slaves. The prisoners taken would naturally have been part of the spoil, but David dared not to...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 27 _ 1. David's unbelief (1 Samuel 27:1)_ 2. With Achish, King of Gath (1 Samuel 27:3) 3. His slaughter and deception 27:8-12) David became despondent. After all the gracious evidences that...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 Samuel 27:1 to 1 Samuel 28:2. DAVID AT GATH (J). Sequel to 1 Samuel 26:25 (_cf._ 1 Samuel 21:10)....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _And David said_, &c. The tribes which David really plundered must evidently have lived in the neighbourhood of the southern boundary of Judah, so that he could represent his expeditions as made again...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    David's raids upon neighbouring tribes 8. _the Geshurites_ A tribe dwelling south of Philistia near the Amalekites (see Joshua 13:2), to be distinguished from the Geshurites in Syria (2 Samuel 15:8)....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _David's Pretended Campaign Against Judah._ 1 Samuel 27:8-12 8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those _nations were_ of old the inh...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DAVID FLEES TO GATH, AND OBTAINS ZIKLAG FROM ACHISH 2. David's position now as the captain of 600 men was quite different from what it was in 1 Samuel 21:10....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    TO BRING _tidings_ TO GATH] RV 'to bring them to Gath' in order to sell them as slaves.' So _will he_ HIS MANNER] RV 'so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 27 DAVID LIVES WITH THE *PHILISTINES V1 Then David thought, ‘I am sure that Saul will kill me one day. But I have a good idea. I will go to t...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND DAVID SAVED NEITHER MAN NOR WOMAN. — This and the following (12th) verse gives the reason for these atrocious acts of murder. The wild and irresponsible Arab chief alone seemed represented in Davi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ אִ֨ישׁ וְ אִשָּׁ֜ה לֹֽא ־יְחַיֶּ֣ה דָוִ֗ד

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXXIII _ DAVID'S SECOND FLIGHT TO GATH._ 1 Samuel 27:1; 1 Samuel 28:1; 1 Samuel 29:1. WE are not prepared for the sad decline in the spirit of trust which is recorded in the beginning of the...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SUBSTITUTING POLICY FOR TRUST 1 Samuel 27:1 David had every assurance that he would be king. From Samuel, Jonathan and Saul he had heard predictions of his coming exaltation; yet suddenly he seems to...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    David's sense of his danger increased until he became almost pessimistic, and he said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul." And who can wonder at, or blame him? Long and wear...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (8) В¶ And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We enter now on a portion of David's history sensibly different from what we have already had, which closed with the efforts of Jonathan to restore matters and to attach Saul to him at least openly. J...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    But David, after all, is only a man; and immediately after this testimony that God was with him (a testimony that even Saul acknowledged), his faith fails, and he passes over into the midst of the ene...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND DAVID SAVED NEITHER MAN NOR WOMAN ALIVE TO BRING [TIDINGS] TO GATH,.... How David had fallen upon these people, and destroyed great numbers of them, and carried off their substance; which would ha...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring [tidings] to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so [will be] his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _To bring tidings to Gath_ Our translation has here put in the word _tidings_, which entirely perverts the sense of this place. For in the Hebrew it is, he _saved neither man nor woman alive to bring...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Saul hearing Dauid to be in Gath, seeketh no more for him. 5 Dauid beggeth Ziklag of Achish. 8 Hee inuading other countreys, perswadeth Achish he fought against Iudah. 1 AND Dauid sayd in his hear...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, David and his men, SAYING, SO DID DAVID, AND SO WILL BE HIS MANNER ALL THE WHILE HE DWELLETH...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    David's Campaign Against the Heathen...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    So soon after David's admirable moral victory in Chapter 26, it is sad to see his faith wavering in his decision "to escape to the land of the Philistines." Did he not remember his experience with Ach...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    8-12 While David was in the land of the Philistines, he attacked some remains of the devoted nations. The people whom he cut off were long before doomed to destruction. It is often wisdom to shun pub...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    LEST THEY SHOULD TELL ON US; that the tidings of this action against this people (who were, it seems, either tributaries to or confederates with Achish) might neither come quickly nor certainly to Ach...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 27:11 David H1732 save H2421 (H8762) man H376 woman H802 alive H2421 (H8762) bring H935 ...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: David down in the dumps. CHARACTERS: David, Schish, Ahmoan, Abigail. CONCLUSION: Unbelief is a sin that besets those who have been undergoing long trials. It is no advantage to us when we...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Samuel 27:8. _The Geshurites._ They were a branch of the Canaanites. Joshua 12:5. Another branch of this people resided beyond the Jordan. 2Sa 3:3; 2 Samuel 13:15. _The Gezrites_ are the people of G...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 27:1 David and his men finally gain some stability by serving the Philistine king Achish of Gath. David pretends to be loyal to Achish by attacking various non-Israelite peop...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 27:10 The NEGEB was the area east and west of Beersheba and north of Kadesh-barnea. David would tell Achish that he attacked Judahite, Jerahmeelite, or Kenite settlements in...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES— 1 Samuel 27:1. “SAUL SHALL DESPAIR,” or _“desist from me.”_ “The idea of the word is, to give a thing up as impossible or useless.” _(Erdmann.)_ 1 Samuel 27:2. “ACHISH,...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    DAVID FINDS A REFUGE AT ZIKLAG (1 Samuel 27:1.). EXPOSITION DAVID AGAIN SEEKS PROTECTION AT GATH (1 Samuel 27

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now David made a negative confession in chapter twenty-seven, and if what these people are preaching today, David would've been killed by Saul. If what they say is true, "If you are what you say," if...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 22:22; Proverbs 12:19; Proverbs 29:25...

Continues after advertising