But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.
Parallel translations
- WEB But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor.
- KJV But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
- BSB because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.
- NKJV But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.
- NLT But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Two hundred of David's men are too exhausted to cross the brook, so only four hundred continue. Human weakness is woven into the story of God's deliverance.
Overview
The reduction from six hundred to four hundred underscores the real cost of the chase and sets the stage for the dispute over spoils. It echoes how God often grants victory through a diminished, weak force, so that the glory belongs to him rather than human strength. The faint two hundred are not despised but will be cared for in David's later ruling.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 30:21David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them.
- 1 Sam 30:9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
- Judg 8:4–5Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.
- 1 Sam 14:20Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle; and behold, they were all striking each other with their swords in very great confusion.
- 1 Sam 14:31They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint;
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 30:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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