1 Samuel 30:15
in 1 Samuel 30“Will you lead me to these raiders?” David asked. And the man replied, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will lead you to them.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.
KJV
And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 30
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe poor and the feeble, the blind and the lame, are called and come because the weak and the despised in this world are often quicker to hear the voice of God, as in this world they have nothing to delight them.The Egyptian servant of the Amalekites is a good example of this. When the Amalekites were plundering and moving about, he was left behind on the road sick and fainting from hunger and thirst.
This site's exposition
We raided the Negev of the Cherethites
on 1 Samuel 30:14-16
The Egyptian servant names the reach of the raid, the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah and the Negev of Caleb. He asks for an oath first, and Barnes and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the bargain as ordinary shrewdness that serves David well.
This site's exposition
Will you lead me to these raiders
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown leave open whether the Egyptian held some belief in one God or was binding David by the God of Israel. Adam Clarke notes that the Vulgate, Syriac and Arabic add that David swore to him. With that oath the man leads David to the raiders.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And David said to him: Can you lead me to this band? etc. David is advised to find and conquer the robbers, who is left sick by the Amalekites; because there are those who, having lived among heretics, by the laziness of their mind, do …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This he promised David to inform him of upon condition he would spare his life and protect him from his master, who, if he could hear of him again (he thought), would add cruelty to cruelty.
And David said unto him, canst thou me down to this company?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Swear unto me - At the conclusion of this verse, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic add, that David swore to him. This is not expressed in the Hebrew, but is necessarily implied.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Swear unto me by God--Whether there was still among these idolatrous tribes a lingering belief in one God, or this Egyptian wished to bind David by the God whom the Hebrews worshipped, the solemn sanction of an oath was mutually recognized.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David--Old and homeborn slaves are usually treated with great kindness. But a purchased or captured slave must look to himself; for, if feeble or sick, his master will leave him to perish rather than encumber himself with any additional burden.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֔ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| הֲתוֹרִדֵ֖נִי | hatorideni | ¿ will you take down me | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַגְּד֣וּד | hagedud | the marauding band | H1416 → | 33 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַיֹּ֡אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִשָּׁבְעָה֩ | hishaveah | swear ! | H7650 → | 186 times |
| לִּ֨י | li | to <the> me | ||
| בֵֽאלֹהִ֜ים | velohim | by God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| תְּמִיתֵ֗נִי | temiteni | you will kill me | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| תַּסְגִּרֵ֙נִי֙ | tasgireni | you will deliver up me | H5462 → | 91 times |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֔י | ʾadoni | master my | H113 → | 333 times |
| וְאוֹרִֽדְךָ֖ | veoridkha | and I will take down you | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַגְּד֥וּד | hagedud | the marauding band | H1416 → | 33 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֔דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
הֲתוֹרִדֵ֖נִי¿ will you take down me
hatorideniH3381 →381 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַגְּד֣וּדthe marauding band
hagedudH1416 →33 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַיֹּ֡אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִשָּׁבְעָה֩swear !
hishaveahH7650 →186 times
לִּ֨יto <the> me
li
בֵֽאלֹהִ֜יםby God
velohimH430 →2601 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
תְּמִיתֵ֗נִיyou will kill me
temiteniH4191 →839 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
תַּסְגִּרֵ֙נִי֙you will deliver up me
tasgireniH5462 →91 times
בְּיַד־in [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
אֲדֹנִ֔יmaster my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
וְאוֹרִֽדְךָ֖and I will take down you
veoridkhaH3381 →381 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַגְּד֥וּדthe marauding band
hagedudH1416 →33 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 17:19Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:2
Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 5:2
Through
Joshua 2:12Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
it leads to
- Joshua 2:18
unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all…
- Joshua 2:18
Through
Ezekiel 17:16‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 12:13
But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and…
- Jeremiah 52:11
Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.
- Ezekiel 12:13
Through
Ezekiel 17:13He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 36:13
He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 2 Kings 24:15–17
Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
- 2 Chronicles 36:13
Through
1 Samuel 29:6So Achish summoned David and told him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been upright in my sight, and it seems right that you should march in and out with me in…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 19:27
But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me.
- 2 Samuel 3:25
Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.”
- 2 Kings 19:27
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 36; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.