1 Samuel 30:21

21 Then David came to the two hundred men, who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him; and when David drew near to the people he saluted them.

1 Samuel 30:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 30:21

And David came to the two hundred men
Left at the brook Besor:

who were so faint that they could not follow David;
or, as the Targum, were restrained from going over after him; either through faintness of spirits, and weakness of body, or through the order of David that they should not follow him; and which seems to receive some countenance from what follows:

whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor;
to guard the passage there, and to tarry by and keep the stuff:

and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that [were]
with him;
to congratulate them upon the victory they had obtained, and to see and receive their wives and children, and what portion of the spoil might be divided to them:

and when David came near to the people, he saluted them;
asked them of their welfare, whether they were in better health, and recovered of their faintness and weakness, as it should seem they were, by their coming forth to meet him.

1 Samuel 30:21 In-Context

19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought back all.

20 David also captured all the flocks and herds; and the people drove those cattle before him, and said, "This is David's spoil."

21 Then David came to the two hundred men, who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him; and when David drew near to the people he saluted them.

22 Then all the wicked and base fellows among the men who had gone with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil which we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart."

23 But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us; he has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.