John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and shalt without fail recover [all]." — 1 Samuel 30:8 (ASV)
And David inquired of the Lord
That is, by Abiathar, who reported his questions to the Lord in his name:
saying, shall I pursue after this troop ?
the large company of the Amalekites, as it appears by what follows they were:
shall I overtake them ?
two questions are here put together, and answers returned to them, contrary to a notion of the Jews; (See Gill on 1 Samuel 23:11);
and he answered him, pursue ;
which respects the first question:
for you shall surely overtake [them] ;
which is an answer to the second question, and a full one, giving full assurance of overtaking; to which is added more than what was inquired about;
and without fail recover [all] ;
their wives, sons, and daughters, and the spoil that was taken; or "in delivering you shall deliver" F16 , out of the hands of the Amalekites, whatsoever they had taken.