1-Samuel - 29:11



11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of 1-Samuel 29:11.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
So David and his men arose in the night, that they might set forward in the morning, and returned to the land of the Philistines: and the Philistines went up to Jezrahel.
And David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jizreel.
So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
And David riseth early, he and his men, to go in the morning, to turn back unto the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines have gone up to Jezreel.
So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
And so David rose up in the night, he and his men, so that they might set out in the morning. And they returned to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines ascended to Jezreel.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning,.... Being as willing and ready to go as the Philistines were desirous they should:
to return into the land of the Philistines; for now they were in the land of Israel, at Aphek, near Jezreel, from whence they went back to Ziklag, which was within the principality of Gath; and, according to Bunting (o), was eighty eight miles from the place where the army of the Philistines was; but it seems not very likely that it should be so far off:
and the Philistines went up to Jezreel; where the army of the Israelites lay encamped, in order to fight them. By the dismission of David from the army of the Philistines, he was not only delivered from a sad plight he was in, either of acting an ungrateful part to Achish, or an unnatural one to Israel; but also, by the pressing charge of Achish to get away as early as possible in the morning, he came time enough to rescue the prey the Amalekites had taken at Ziklag his city, as in the following chapter; and the providence of God in this affair is further observable, as by some represented, since if David had stayed in the camp of the Philistines, it would not have been so easy for him, on the death of Saul, to have got from them, and succeed in the kingdom, as he could and did from Ziklag.
(o) Travels, &c. p. 137.

In accordance with this admonition, David returned the next morning into the land of the Philistines, i.e., to Ziklag; no doubt very light of heart, and praising God for having so graciously rescued him out of the disastrous situation into which he had been brought and not altogether without some fault of his own, rejoicing that "he had not committed either sin, i.e., had neither violated the fidelity which he owed to Achish, nor had to fight against the Israelites" (Seb. Schmidt).

Rose up early - David did not then know, how necessary this was, for the relief of his own city. But God knew it well, and sent him thither accordingly. On how many occasions may he say, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter?

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