1 Samuel 19:8

8 Again there was war, and David went out to fight the Philistines. He launched a heavy attack on them, so that they fled before him.

1 Samuel 19:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 19:8

And there was war again
Between Israel and the Philistines; it does not appear that either of them sent out their whole force, only some parties or detachments, between which there were skirmishes:

and David went out and fought with the Philistines;
he went out with his thousand men, over which he was made captain, ( 1 Samuel 18:13 ) ; for he had not the command of the whole army; that belonged to Abner:

and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him;
he killed many of them in his engagements with them, and the rest fled, and he returned victorious; which stirred up the envy and increased the jealousy of Saul, to observe which this is related.

1 Samuel 19:8 In-Context

6 Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, "As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death."

7 So Jonathan called David and related all these things to him. Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before.

8 Again there was war, and David went out to fight the Philistines. He launched a heavy attack on them, so that they fled before him.

9 Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing music.

10 Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear; but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.