1 Samuel 19:8

8 And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and made a great slaughter among 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 And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death."

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

8 And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and made a great slaughter among 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; and David was playing the lyre.

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