1 Samuel 27:9
in 1 Samuel 27Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel; and he returned, and came to Achish.
KJV
And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 27
Commentary
8 notes on this verseDavid smote the land - Here was a complete extirpation of all these people, not one being left alive, lest he should carry tidings of the disasters of his country! The spoil which David took consisted of sheep, oxen, asses, camels, and apparel.
This site's exposition
the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites
on 1 Samuel 27:8-9
The raids strike the Geshurites, the Gezrites and the Amalekites, and the third name reaches back to the war Exodus 17 swore against Amalek and Deuteronomy 25 commanded blotted out, the same war chapter 15 left unfinished when Saul spared Agag and the best of the flock. Barnes places these tribes on the desert border toward Egypt, old inhabitants of the land rather than late arrivals, and distinguishes them from other clans bearing similar names elsewhere in the record. David leaves neither man nor woman alive and takes the sheep, oxen, asses and camels for spoil, and Adam Clarke calls it a complete extirpation of the people struck.
This site's exposition
he did not leave a man or woman alive
The flocks, herds and camels fed David's men. Matthew Henry acquits David of cruelty toward the Amalekites and their neighbors, peoples long doomed. Adam Clarke calls the raids inhuman and without any word from God.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And David struck all the land, etc. The Lord strikes with the sword of His word whatever earthly and lowly thing He finds in unbelievers; nor does He allow anyone of those who truly receive the faith, either in spirit or in flesh, to live …
And he took the sheep and the cattle, etc. Christ, taking from the nations souls of diverse character, hastens to gather them all into the unity of the preexisting Church in Himself.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
We may acquit him of injustice and cruelty in this action because those people whom he cut off were such as heaven had long since doomed to destruction, and he that did it was one whom heaven had ordained to dominion; so that the thing was very fit to be done, and he was very fit to do it.
The service paid itself, for they carried off abundance of spoil, which served for the subsistence of David's forces. Yet we cannot acquit him of dissimulation with Achish in the account he gave him of this expedition. (1.) David, it seems, was not willing that he should know the truth, and therefore spared none to carry tidings to Gath (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And David smote the land,....
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִכָּ֤ה | vehikah | and he struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| דָוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְחַיֶּ֖ה | yechaiyeh | he let live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וְאִשָּׁ֑ה | veishah | and a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְלָקַח֩ | velakach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| צֹ֨אן | tzon | sheep | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וּבָקָ֜ר | uvakar | and cattle | H1241 → | 183 times |
| וַחֲמֹרִ֤ים | vachamorim | and donkeys | H2543 → | 96 times |
| וּגְמַלִּים֙ | ugemalim | and camels | H1581 → | 54 times |
| וּבְגָדִ֔ים | uvegadim | and clothes | H899 → | 217 times |
| וַיָּ֖שָׁב | vaiyashov | and he returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֥א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אָכִֽישׁ׃ | ʾakhish | Achish | H397 → | 21 times |
וְהִכָּ֤הand he struck
vehikahH5221 →499 times
דָוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יְחַיֶּ֖הhe let live
yechaiyehH2421 →282 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וְאִשָּׁ֑הand a woman
veishahH802 →781 times
וְלָקַח֩and he took
velakachH3947 →966 times
צֹ֨אןsheep
tzonH6629 →274 times
וּבָקָ֜רand cattle
uvakarH1241 →183 times
וַחֲמֹרִ֤יםand donkeys
vachamorimH2543 →96 times
וּגְמַלִּים֙and camels
ugemalimH1581 →54 times
וּבְגָדִ֔יםand clothes
uvegadimH899 →217 times
וַיָּ֖שָׁבand he returned
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
וַיָּבֹ֥אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אָכִֽישׁ׃Achish
ʾakhishH397 →21 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
Genesis 16:7Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.
it leads to
- Genesis 25:18
Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 21:17
Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the…
- Exodus 15:22
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.
- Genesis 25:18
Through
Genesis 25:18Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
it leads to
- Genesis 16:12
He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
- Genesis 20:1
Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
- Genesis 16:12
Through
1 Samuel 15:3Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 20:16–18
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
- Numbers 24:20
Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”
- Deuteronomy 20:16–18
Through
Exodus 15:22Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.
it leads to
- Genesis 16:7
Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.
- Genesis 16:7
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.