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1 Samuel 27:8-9

David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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1 Samuel 27:8-9 sits inside this longer paragraph.

David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.” David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. Saul was told that David had fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. The number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, on the way to Shur, even to the land of Egypt.

    David struck the land, and saved no man or woman alive, and took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned, and came to Achish.

  • KJV King James Version

    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.

    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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Gizrites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

    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 he returned, and came to Achish.

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Contradictions (1)

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Cross-references (22)

  • Joshua 13:2 (v8) “This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;
  • 1 Samuel 15:7-8 (v8) Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt. He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and…
  • Joshua 13:13 (v8) Nevertheless the children of Israel didn’t drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this…
  • 1 Samuel 15:3 (v9) Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing…
  • Joshua 16:10 (v8) They didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the territory of Ephraim to this day, and have become…
Show all 21 cross-references
  • Judges 1:29 (v8) Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
  • Exodus 15:22 (vv8–9) Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and…
  • Genesis 16:7 (v9) Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.
  • Genesis 25:18 (v9) They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.
  • Exodus 17:8 (v8) Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
  • Exodus 17:14-16 (v8) Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory…
  • Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (v9) Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came out of Egypt; how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who…
  • Joshua 6:21 (v9) They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the…
  • 1 Samuel 15:7 (v9) Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.
  • 1 Samuel 30:1 (v8) When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck…
  • 2 Samuel 13:37-38 (v8) But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son every day. So Absalom fled, and went to…
  • 2 Samuel 14:23 (v8) So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
  • 2 Samuel 14:32 (v8) Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur?…
  • 2 Samuel 15:8 (v8) For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If Yahweh shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will…
  • 1 Kings 9:15-17 (v8) This is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo,…
  • 1 Chronicles 2:23 (v8) Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath, and its villages, even sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir the…

21 distinct cross-references across this passage (22 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (18 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v8 These were the wicked Canaanites, whom God had appointed…

These were the wicked Canaanites, whom God had appointed to be destroyed.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv8–9 1Sa 27:8 And David and his men went up,…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv8–9 The Gezrites were anciently seated in other places, Jos…
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v8 Here is an account of David's actions while he…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv8–9 And David and his men went up,.... From Ziklag,…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv8–9 Amalekites - The remnant of those whom Saul destroyed,…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v9 Verse 9. David smote the land] Here was a…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv8–9 1Sa 27:8. David and his men invaded the Geshurites,…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v8 The Geshurites bordered upon the Philistines, and lived in…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv8–9 Pillaged Gessuri, &c. These probably were enemies of the…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v8 David . . . went up, and invaded the…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv8–9 8. The Geshurites — A nomadic people occupying the…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv8–9 8–12. David’s raids upon neighbouring tribes
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv8–9 (8) Went up.—The expression is strictly accurate. The nomad…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv8–9 EXPEDITIONS OF DAVID FROM ZIKLAG (vers. 8-12).
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v8 David’s Campaign Against the Heathen
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v8 making raids on
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv8–9 27:8 Geshurites . . . Girzites . . .…
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