1 Samuel 25:13
in 1 Samuel 25And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.
KJV
And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
David’s men turned around and went back
on 1 Samuel 25:12-13
David's answer is immediate: every man straps on his sword. Henry and Keil and Delitzsch mark this as the first time David moves to shed blood on his own account. Between the sparings of Saul in chapters 24 and 26, the restraint here has to come from someone else.
This site's exposition
while two hundred stayed with the supplies
The two hundred left set a pattern the book returns to at 30:24, where David rules that those who guard the baggage share the spoil. Gill notes the young men had come back expecting David to avenge the affront. The order to strap on swords answers that expectation at once.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then David said to his men, Let each one gird on his sword, etc. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, can indeed be understood; with which the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (Ephes. VI), was girded …
And about four hundred men followed David, etc. Whoever could be found perfect in prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice followed the Lord to the office of preaching. Moreover, others, content with the twin perfection of charity, preferred to live quietly with those they had won …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And David said unto his men,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And Dovid too, girded his sword. From here [we learn] that we commence, in cases involving capital punishment, from the less significant first.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֨ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לַאֲנָשָׁ֜יו | laanashav | to men his | H582 → | 566 times |
| חִגְר֣וּ׀ | chigru | gird on | H2296 → | 44 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חַרְבּ֗וֹ | charbo | sword his | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וַֽיַּחְגְּרוּ֙ | vaiyachgeru | and they girded on | H2296 → | 44 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חַרְבּ֔וֹ | charbo | sword his | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וַיַּחְגֹּ֥ר | vaiyachgor | and he girded on | H2296 → | 44 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| דָּוִ֖ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חַרְבּ֑וֹ | charbo | sword his | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲל֣וּ׀ | vaiyaalu | and they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| דָוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| כְּאַרְבַּ֤ע | kearba' | about four | H702 → | 318 times |
| מֵאוֹת֙ | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וּמָאתַ֖יִם | umatayim | and two hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| יָשְׁב֥וּ | yashevu | they remained | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכֵּלִֽים׃ | hakelim | the baggage<s> | H3627 → | 325 times |
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֨דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
לַאֲנָשָׁ֜יוto men his
laanashavH582 →566 times
חִגְר֣וּ׀gird on
chigruH2296 →44 times
אִ֣ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חַרְבּ֗וֹsword his
charboH2719 →413 times
וַֽיַּחְגְּרוּ֙and they girded on
vaiyachgeruH2296 →44 times
אִ֣ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חַרְבּ֔וֹsword his
charboH2719 →413 times
וַיַּחְגֹּ֥רand he girded on
vaiyachgorH2296 →44 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
דָּוִ֖דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חַרְבּ֑וֹsword his
charboH2719 →413 times
וַֽיַּעֲל֣וּ׀and they went up
vaiyaaluH5927 →890 times
אַחֲרֵ֣יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
דָוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
כְּאַרְבַּ֤עabout four
kearba'H702 →318 times
מֵאוֹת֙hundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
אִ֔ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וּמָאתַ֖יִםand two hundred
umatayimH3967 →581 times
יָשְׁב֥וּthey remained
yashevuH3427 →1079 times
עַל־with
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַכֵּלִֽים׃the baggage<s>
hakelimH3627 →325 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
Proverbs 19:2Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.
it leads to
- Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.
- Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Philippians 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
- Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
- Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.
- Proverbs 21:5
Through
Proverbs 25:8do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
it leads to
- Matthew 5:25
Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and…
- Proverbs 17:14
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
- Proverbs 18:6
A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.
- Matthew 5:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
