1 Samuel 30:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

NIV: David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind.

NASB: So David left, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some who were left behind stayed.

CSB: So David and the six hundred men with him went. They came to the Wadi Besor, where some stayed behind.

NLT: So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor.

KJV: So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

NKJV: So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.

First Samuel 30:1–15 describes Amalekite revenge. David and his men have been raiding Israel's enemies, including the Amalekites. Whatever city David's men attack, they leave no survivors (1 Samuel 27:8–11). While David and his men are away, other Amalekites strike back, kidnapping the Israelites' families. Under God's guidance, David's soldiers will rescue their wives and children (1 Samuel 30:16–31).

David and his men return home to find their city burned and their families gone. Amalekite raiders have taken them captive. The mood is dark, but David insists on trusting the Lord's promise that their people will be rescued. After being revived from near-starvation, an Egyptian slave abandoned by the Amalekites leads David and his men to the raiders. David’s wives and all the families are rescued, and David sends of the massive plunder the Amalekites had acquired to the people of the cities of Judah.

David and his men return from the ranks of the Philistine troops gathering for war (1 Samuel 29). They find their city is burnt and all their people are gone. David and his men attack the raiders, rescue their families alive, and kill every enemy except for 400 who escape on camelback. David sends some of the plunder to the cities of Judah. Meanwhile, King Saul dies in battle (1 Samuel 31). Before long, the leaders of Judah will anoint David king (2 Samuel 2:1–4).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

Accessed 11/1/2025 9:29:36 AM