1 Samuel 27 9

1 Samuel 27:9 kjv

And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

1 Samuel 27:9 nkjv

Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.

1 Samuel 27:9 niv

Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

1 Samuel 27:9 esv

And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish.

1 Samuel 27:9 nlt

David did not leave one person alive in the villages he attacked. He took the sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing before returning home to see King Achish.

1 Samuel 27 verses

1 Samuel 27 9 Meaning

David, while dwelling in Ziklag under Philistine King Achish, conducted military raids against certain tribes dwelling to the south of Judah: the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. To ensure that King Achish would not discover the true identity of his targets, David annihilated all inhabitants—both male and female—leaving no one alive to report back. He also seized all their livestock and apparel, presenting them to Achish as spoil from supposed raids against the southern regions of Judah or its allies. This action demonstrates David's cunning and ruthless pragmatism during his period of exile, essential for maintaining his deception and survival among the Philistines.

1 Samuel 27 9 Context

Chapter 27 of 1 Samuel finds David in a precarious position, fleeing from King Saul, who relentlessly sought his life. Faced with continuous pursuit, David determines that the safest course of action is to seek refuge in Philistine territory, a daring move given their historical enmity with Israel. King Achish of Gath grants David and his men the city of Ziklag as a dwelling place. Verse 9 describes David's cunning strategy while residing in Ziklag. Instead of fulfilling Achish's likely expectation of raiding Judahite towns (as he would lie about in subsequent verses), David secretly launches raids against ancient enemies of Israel: the Geshurites, Girzites, and notably, the Amalekites. His complete destruction of these populations, leaving no survivors, was a strategic necessity to prevent news of his true targets from reaching Achish, thereby preserving his cover and continued safety under Philistine patronage. This period highlights David's pragmatism and survival instincts, operating outside the direct protection and guidance that marked other phases of his life.

1 Samuel 27 9 Word analysis

• And David smote (וַיַּכֵּה דָוִד - wa-yakkeh David):

  • וַיַּכֵּה (wa-yakkeh) - derived from the verb נָכָה (nakah), meaning "to strike," "to hit," "to defeat," or "to slay." The waw consecutive indicates sequential action. This term often signifies military conquest or violent subjugation, not just a casual hit. It implies a decisive and forceful military engagement resulting in death or defeat.
  • Significance: David, now a military commander, is actively engaged in warfare, even while in exile. This demonstrates his ongoing military prowess and leadership.

• the land (אֶת־הָאָרֶץ - et ha-aretz):

  • אֶרֶץ (eretz) - "land," "territory," "region." It refers to the specific geographic area inhabited by the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites.
  • Significance: This indicates the scope of David's campaign—a full territorial assault, not just isolated encounters.

• and left neither man nor woman alive (וְלֹא הִחְיָה אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה - wə-lōʾ hiḥyâ ʾîš wə-ʾiššâ):

  • וְלֹא הִחְיָה (wə-lōʾ hiḥyâ) - "and not kept alive," from the verb חָיָה (ḥāyâ), "to live," "to keep alive," in the Hiphil causative form. This literally means he "caused no one to live."
  • אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה (ʾîš wə-ʾiššâ) - "man and woman," representing every individual, all adults.
  • Significance: This is a stark declaration of total annihilation. David's objective was to ensure no survivors could carry news of his actual raiding targets back to King Achish. This level of ruthlessness, while chilling to modern readers, was a pragmatic, strategic necessity in ancient warfare when information control was vital. It echoes the concept of herem (utter destruction) sometimes commanded by God against wicked nations like the Amalekites, but here it's clearly for a strategic, human purpose by David.

• and took away (וְלָקַח - wə-lāqaḥ):

  • From the verb לָקַח (lāqaḥ), "to take," "to seize," "to capture," "to acquire."
  • Significance: This refers to the appropriation of spoils, a common practice in ancient warfare. It served both as sustenance for David's band and as evidence of "successful raids" to show Achish.

• the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel (הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר וְהַחֲמֹרִים וְהַגְּמַלִּים וְהַלְּבוּשִׁים - ha-ṣōʾn wə-ha-bāqār wə-ha-ḥămōrîm wə-ha-gəmallîm wə-ha-ləbûšîm):

  • A comprehensive list of typical war booty: all forms of livestock (sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels) which represented wealth and sustenance, and "apparel," likely signifying valuable clothing, tents, or other movable property.
  • Significance: This was the tangible evidence of his raids that David would present to Achish, fabricating the true identity of his victims to maintain his facade. This also provided vital resources for David and his 600 men.

• and returned, and came to Achish (וַיָּשָׁב וַיָּבֹא אֶל־אָכִישׁ - wa-yāšov wa-yāvōʾ el-ʾĀḵîš):

  • וַיָּשָׁב (wa-yāšov) - "and returned," from שׁוּב (shuv), "to turn back," "to return."
  • וַיָּבֹא (wa-yāvōʾ) - "and came," from בּוֹא (boʾ), "to come," "to go in."
  • אֶל־אָכִישׁ (el-ʾĀḵîš) - "to Achish," indicating the direct reporting and interaction with the Philistine king.
  • Significance: This completes the cycle of the military operation. David successfully executed his plan and returned to his base to report to Achish, thereby perpetuating his deception regarding the true nature of his campaigns. This return is the prelude to his false report in the following verses.

Words-group Analysis:

• "And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive": This phrase details David's complete subjugation and annihilation of the enemy population. It highlights the brutal nature of warfare in that era and, specifically for David, the strategic imperative of eliminating all witnesses to preserve his lie. This thoroughness is crucial to the success of his overall plan of deceiving Achish about his targets.

• "and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel": This details the thorough plundering of the land. The meticulous enumeration of the spoil underscores the completeness of the raid and the material success of David's military enterprise. This booty serves as tangible proof for Achish, reinforcing David's fabricated narrative.

• "and returned, and came to Achish": This final phrase describes David's immediate report back to his Philistine lord. It signifies the direct relationship between David's military actions and his carefully constructed deception, indicating the clandestine nature of his true operations.

1 Samuel 27 9 Bonus section

• The particular target, the Amalekites, has significant biblical resonance. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy them (1 Sam 15:2-3) for their attack on Israel during the Exodus (Exod 17:8-16, Deut 25:17-19). Saul failed this command. David's action here, though motivated by deceit, implicitly fulfills a long-standing divine judgment against the Amalekites, showing God's overarching purpose at work even through flawed human actions.
• David's choice of targets, bordering Philistine, Judahite, and Amalekite territories, highlights his strategic acumen. He did not waste his forces by attacking the very people he sought to protect in Judah, but rather directed his military might against groups who were common enemies of both Judah and, to some extent, Philistia.
• This period of David's life, though complex, served as a "training ground" for his future kingship. He gained invaluable experience leading a sizable armed force, managing logistics, conducting military operations, and exercising shrewd judgment under pressure. This honed his skills for the greater responsibilities awaiting him as King of Israel.
• The severity of David's actions underscores the stakes involved. A discovery of his deceit would have led to his immediate execution by Achish and the annihilation of his entire band. His survival and ultimate path to kingship were precariously balanced on such deceptions.

1 Samuel 27 9 Commentary

1 Samuel 27:9 paints a picture of David during a complex and morally ambiguous period of his life. Fleeing Saul, he allied with Achish, king of Gath, out of desperate pragmatism. This verse describes how David shrewdly capitalized on his position. While supposedly raiding against the Israelites for Achish's benefit, David actually attacked long-standing enemies of Israel: the Geshurites, Girzites, and particularly the Amalekites. His method of operation—utterly annihilating the inhabitants and seizing all their possessions—was not merely for spoil, but crucially, to prevent any survivor from revealing the true identity of his victims to Achish. This meticulous eradication of witnesses protected his carefully crafted deception.

This passage reveals David as a leader of great cunning and a master strategist, capable of ruthlessness when survival demanded it. It is not presented as a divine command or a morally commendable act in itself, but as a descriptive account of the extreme measures David took to survive and to indirectly weaken Israel's traditional foes while under the protection of Israel's own enemy. It contrasts sharply with God's clear instructions given to Saul regarding the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15, which Saul failed to execute completely; here David accomplishes the complete destruction of a group hostile to Israel, albeit for personal strategic reasons rather than explicit divine command in this immediate context. This episode, though marked by deception, showcases David's determined leadership and ability to operate effectively even in the most challenging and ethically compromising circumstances.