1 Samuel 30:8

8 Then David asked the LORD, "Should I pursue these troops? Will I catch up with them?" "Pursue them," the LORD told him. "You will certainly catch up with them and rescue the captives."

1 Samuel 30:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 30:8

And David inquired of the Lord
That is, by Abiathar, who reported his questions to the Lord in his name:

saying, shall I pursue after this troop?
the large company of the Amalekites, as it appears by what follows they were:

shall I overtake them?
two questions are here put together, and answers returned to them, contrary to a notion of the Jews; (See Gill on 1 Samuel 23:11);

and he answered him, pursue;
which respects the first question:

for thou shall surely overtake [them];
which is an answer to the second question, and a full one, giving full assurance of overtaking; to which is added more than what was inquired about;

and without fail recover [all];
their wives, sons, and daughters, and the spoil that was taken; or "in delivering thou shall deliver" ^F16, out of the hands of the Amalekites, whatsoever they had taken.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (lyut luh) "eruendo erues", Pagninus, Montanus; "eripiendo erepturus es", Piscator.

1 Samuel 30:8 In-Context

6 David was in great distress because the people in their bitterness said he should be stoned. (They were thinking of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.)

7 David told the priest Abiathar, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring me the priestly ephod." So Abiathar brought David the ephod.

8 Then David asked the LORD, "Should I pursue these troops? Will I catch up with them?" "Pursue them," the LORD told him. "You will certainly catch up with them and rescue the captives."

9 So David and his 600 men went to the Besor Valley, where some were left behind.

10 David and 400 men went in pursuit, while 200 men who were too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley stayed behind.