1 Samuel 30:17 Meaning and Explanation
“And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David attacks and defeats the raiders in a long battle; only four hundred escape on camels.
What Does 1 Samuel 30:17 Mean?
David falls on the unguarded camp and the battle stretches from twilight through to the evening of the next day. The victory is near total: of all the raiders, none escapes except four hundred young men swift enough to flee on camels. The plunderers are overthrown in the midst of their feasting.
God's word in verse eight is being fulfilled before David's eyes — he has surely overtaken them. The long fight shows that the promise of recovery did not spare the labor of battle; deliverance was given through David's faithful exertion, not apart from it. So the Lord works: He grants the victory He promised, yet calls His people to take hold of it with all their strength, that the rescue may be both His gift and their obedience.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 30:17
What does 1 Samuel 30:17 mean?
David attacks and defeats the raiders in a long battle; only four hundred escape on camels.