1 Samuel 22:2

2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

1 Samuel 22:2 in Other Translations

2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

2 Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.

2 Not only that, but all who were down on their luck came around - losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts. David became their leader. There were about four hundred in all.

2 In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About 400 men were with him.

1 Samuel 22:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 22:2

And everyone [that was] in distress
In straitened circumstances, through the oppression of men, through poverty, and afflictive providences in their families:

and everyone [that was] in debt;
and not able to pay their debts, and whose creditors were pressing upon them:

and everyone [that was] discontented;
with Saul's government and conduct: or "bitter in soul" ^F24; distressed and uneasy in their minds, being pinched with want, or pressed with sore afflictions, which made them very disconsolate: these

gathered themselves unto him;
to help him, or rather to be helped by him; hoping in time things would take a favourable turn with him, and he should be advanced to the throne, and so their circumstances would be mended thereby:

and he became a captain over them;
they enlisted themselves in his service, and he took the command of them; he might not know the circumstances of those in debt, nor of any of them thoroughly, nor their views in joining him; however he meant not to shelter them from paying their just debts if able, nor to encourage them in disloyalty to their king, only to make use of them for his own preservation for the present. In this he was a type of Christ, who receives sinners distressed with a sense of sin, discontented in their present state, and in debt, and, unable to pay their debts; see ( Matthew 11:28 ) ( Luke 7:41 Luke 7:42 ) ( Luke 15:2 ) ;

and there were with him about four hundred men;
among whom some think were the three mighty men spoken of in ( 2 Samuel 23:13 2 Samuel 23:14 ) ( 1 Chronicles 11:15 1 Chronicles 11:16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (vpn rm) "amarus animo", Pagninus, Montanus.

1 Samuel 22:2 In-Context

1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?”

4 So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 23:13; 1 Samuel 25:13; 2 Samuel 15:20