1 Samuel 30:10

10 That's because 200 of them were too tired to go across the valley. But David and the other 400 continued the chase.

1 Samuel 30:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 30:10

But David pursued, he and four hundred men
Not discouraged with being obliged to leave a third part of his little army behind; though it was doubtless a trial of his faith, with these to pursue an enemy, whose numbers he knew not, which must greatly exceed his; for after the rout and slaughter of them, as many escaped on camels as David had with him, ( 1 Samuel 30:17 ) ;

for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint;
through their grief and sorrow for the loss of their wives and children, and through their march from the camp of the Philistines to Ziklag, and from thence hither, that they looked like a corpse, as the word signifies; Procopius Gazaeus has it only seventy men:

so that they could not go over the brook Besor:
being so weak and feeble; for this was not owing to fear of their enemies, and faint heartedness on that account, then it would rather have been said, "they would not go over"; the Targum renders the word "faint" by "restrained" or prohibited, as if they were forbid by David to go over, but were ordered to tarry here by the stuff, while the rest pursued; and, according to the Syriac and Arabic versions, they were placed there, that none might go over the brook; and it seems, by ( 1 Samuel 30:22 ) , that they had a good will to go over, but were made to abide there; or as all Gideon's army, but three hundred, were sent back, and not suffered to go with him, being too many, ( Judges 7:2-8 ) .

1 Samuel 30:10 In-Context

8 David asked the LORD for advice. He said, "Should I chase after the men who attacked Ziklag? If I do, will I catch up with them?" "Chase after them," the LORD answered. "You will certainly catch up with them. You will succeed in saving those who were captured."

9 David and his 600 men came to the Besor Valley. Some of them stayed behind there.

10 That's because 200 of them were too tired to go across the valley. But David and the other 400 continued the chase.

11 David's men found an Egyptian in a field. They brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat.

12 They gave him part of a cake of pressed figs. They also gave him two raisin cakes. After he ate them, he felt as good as new. That's because he hadn't eaten any food for three days and three nights. He hadn't drunk any water during that time either.