1 Samuel 27:11

Contextual Overview

⁸David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. From ancient times they had been the inhabitants of the region through Shur as far as the land of Egypt. ⁸ David and his men went up, and made a raid on the Geshuri, and the Gizri, and the `Amaleki; for those [nations] were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as you go to Shur, even to the land of Mitzrayim. ⁸ And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. ⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites, for they had been living in the land for a long time in the direction of Shur and as far as the land of Egypt. ⁸ Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. ⁸ David and his men raided the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek. (These people had lived for a long time in the land that reached to Shur and Egypt.) ⁸ Then David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (They had been living in that land for a long time, from the approach to Shur as far as the land of Egypt.) ⁸Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites [the enemies of Israel that Joshua had failed to annihilate]; for they had inhabited the land from ancient times, as one comes to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁸ Now David and his men went up and attacked the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁸ Then Dauid and his men went vp, and inuaded the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites: for they inhabited the lande from the beginning, from the way, as thou goest to Shur, euen vnto the lande of Egypt.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lest: 1 Samuel 22:22, Proverbs 12:19, Proverbs 29:25

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 27:1 - into the land 1 Samuel 30:2 - slew not 2 Samuel 17:20 - They be gone Jeremiah 41:4 - after

Cross-References

Genesis 25:25
The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esav.

Genesis 25:25
And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

Genesis 25:25
And the first came out red, all his body was like a hairy coat, so they called his name Esau.

Genesis 25:25
The first baby was born red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau.

Genesis 25:25
The first came out reddish all over, like a hairy garment, so they named him Esau.

Genesis 25:25
The first came out reddish all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau (hairy).

Genesis 25:25
Now the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.

Genesis 25:25
So he that came out first was red, and he was all ouer as a rough garment, and they called his name Esau.

Genesis 25:25
And the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.

Genesis 25:25
the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring [tidings] to Gath,.... How David had fallen upon these people, and destroyed great numbers of them, and carried off their substance; which would have given great offence to Achish, and caused him to have driven him out of his country once more; though Abarbinel is of opinion that these Geshurites, c. were haters and enemies of Achish, and therefore were smitten and spoiled by David or otherwise it would have been such a piece of perfidy, rebellion, and ingratitude, as mast have made the name of David to stink, since it could not but be known sooner or later; but being the enemies of Achish, no notice was taken of it afterwards, nor inquiry made about it, nor complaint made of it, by any of their neighbours: nor does he suppose they were all cut off, and much less that this was done that it might not be told in Gath what destruction he had made; but that the sense is, that he did not carry the captives to Gath, to be disposed of there; for they would have told from whence they came, and so have contradicted what David said, and what he would have Achish understand, as if he had been out against and smote some of the cities of Judah, that he might place the greater confidence in him; which end would not have been answered, if he had brought any of them to Gath; and so the words may be read without the supplement we make, "spared neither man nor woman alive to bring to Gath": and so could tell no tales. Though Josephus expressly says k that David spared the men, and abstained from the slaughter of them, fearing lest they should declare to the king what he had done in plundering them:

saying, lest they should tell on us, saying, so did David: in such and such places, such numbers of people he destroyed, and such quantities of cattle and goods he carried off:

and so [will be] his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines: this is what may be expected will be done by him in one place or another, as long as he stays here; nothing will be heard of but desolation and destruction, in some part of the country of the Philistines or another; or among those that were tributaries to them; so that it was not safe that he should be allowed to abide in it.

k Antiqu. l. 6. c. 13. sect. 10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Tidings - The word is not in the original. The sense rather is “to bring them to Gath,” as captives and slaves. The prisoners taken would naturally have been part of the spoil, but David dared not to bring them to Gath lest his deceit should be discovered. Obviously these tribes were allies of the Philistines.