1 Samuel 27:9

9 killing all the men and women and taking the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and even the clothes. Then he would come back to Achish,

1 Samuel 27:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 27:9

And David smote the land
In which the above mentioned people dwelt, that is, the inhabitants of it:

and left neither man nor woman alive;
for these being the old Canaanites and Amalekites, according to the law of God were not to be spared, but utterly destroyed; which may be observed to remove the charge of cruelty that might be brought against David on this account, ( Deuteronomy 7:2 ) ( 25:19 ) ; though this must be understood of such that came within his reach; for it is certain there were people of these several names after this; see ( 1 Samuel 30:1 ) ( 2 Samuel 3:3 ) ( 1 Kings 9:15 ) ;

and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels,
and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish;
at Gath, to make a report of what he had been about and done; and what he brought was a good booty for the support of his men and their families.

1 Samuel 27:9 In-Context

7 David lived in Philistia for sixteen months.

8 During that time David and his men would attack the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek, who had been living in the region a very long time. He would raid their land as far as Shur, all the way down to Egypt,

9 killing all the men and women and taking the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and even the clothes. Then he would come back to Achish,

10 who would ask him, "Where did you go on a raid this time?" and David would tell him that he had gone to the southern part of Judah or to the territory of the clan of Jerahmeel or to the territory where the Kenites lived.

11 David would kill everyone, men and women, so that no one could go back to Gath and report what he and his men had really done. This is what David did the whole time he lived in Philistia.