1 Samuel 30:10

10 David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, while two hundred men stayed there, too exhausted to cross the Besor ravine.

1 Samuel 30:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 30:10

But David pursued, he and four hundred men
Not discouraged with being obliged to leave a third part of his little army behind; though it was doubtless a trial of his faith, with these to pursue an enemy, whose numbers he knew not, which must greatly exceed his; for after the rout and slaughter of them, as many escaped on camels as David had with him, ( 1 Samuel 30:17 ) ;

for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint;
through their grief and sorrow for the loss of their wives and children, and through their march from the camp of the Philistines to Ziklag, and from thence hither, that they looked like a corpse, as the word signifies; Procopius Gazaeus has it only seventy men:

so that they could not go over the brook Besor:
being so weak and feeble; for this was not owing to fear of their enemies, and faint heartedness on that account, then it would rather have been said, "they would not go over"; the Targum renders the word "faint" by "restrained" or prohibited, as if they were forbid by David to go over, but were ordered to tarry here by the stuff, while the rest pursued; and, according to the Syriac and Arabic versions, they were placed there, that none might go over the brook; and it seems, by ( 1 Samuel 30:22 ) , that they had a good will to go over, but were made to abide there; or as all Gideon's army, but three hundred, were sent back, and not suffered to go with him, being too many, ( Judges 7:2-8 ) .

1 Samuel 30:10 In-Context

8 Then David asked the LORD, "Should I go after this raiding party? Will I catch them?" "Yes, go after them!" God answered. "You will definitely catch them and will succeed in the rescue!"

9 So David set off with six hundred men. They came to the Besor ravine, where some stayed behind.

10 David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, while two hundred men stayed there, too exhausted to cross the Besor ravine.

11 They found an Egyptian in the countryside and brought him to David. They gave him bread, and he ate, and they gave him water to drink.

12 They also gave him a piece of fig cake and two raisin cakes. He ate and regained his strength because he hadn't eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and nights.