I Samuel 30:9-10 · Bible study
1 Samuel 30:9-10 Commentary: The Two Hundred Who Stayed at Brook Besor
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did two hundred of David's men stay behind at the brook Besor? This study explores exhaustion, faith, and divine guidance in 1 Samuel 30:9-10.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Two hundred of David’s men were too exhausted from grief and marching to cross the brook Besor, so they stayed with the baggage while David pressed on with four hundred.
- Key words: pagare (faint, exhausted, connected to “corpse”), nachal (wadi/ravine), radaph (pursue).
- Main debate: No substantive debate, all traditions agree the reason was physical exhaustion, not cowardice or disobedience.
- Theological theme: God’s faithfulness works through human limitation; those who cannot go on are not discarded but dignified.
- Best use: Teaching on leadership under crisis, the place of weakness in God’s plan, and the equal worth of all members in a shared mission.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind
10because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
10But 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 King James Version 1769
9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10But 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9And David goeth on, he and six hundred men who are with him, and they come in unto the brook of Besor, and those left have stood still,
10and David pursueth, he and four hundred men, (and two hundred men stand still who have been too faint to pass over the brook of Besor),
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor; and those that were left stayed behind.
10And David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to go over the torrent Besor.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some, being weary, stayed there.
10But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who, being weary, could not go over the torrent Besor.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 30:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree on the core fact: the two hundred men were physically exhausted, too faint to cross the brook Besor. Clarke notes they were “so spent with fatigue that they could proceed no farther.” The Cambridge Bible observes that the Hebrew verb pagare (“to faint”) is connected to a word meaning “corpse”; the men were, in colloquial terms, “dead-beat.” Gill explains that their faintness came from grief over the loss of their families and the forced march from Ziklag. Grief and exhaustion converged; the text records no hint of cowardice or disobedience. Matthew Henry and Wesley highlight that David pressed on with the remaining four hundred, trusting God’s promise through the ephod. The unanimous reading across traditions, Reformed, Wesleyan, Anglican, Baptist, is that the split at Besor was a matter of physical limitation, not lack of faith. The two hundred were not left behind in disgrace but assigned to guard the baggage (1 Samuel 30:24). The passage thus presents an honest picture of human frailty within a story of God’s deliverance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The two hundred men stayed behind because they were physically too exhausted to cross the brook, not because of fear or disobedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reason the two hundred stayed | They were physically exhausted, too faint to cross the wadi. | No debate among the supplied commentators; all read it as genuine fatigue. |
| Significance of the number two hundred | A third of the six hundred were unable to continue; this is noted as a substantial portion. | Some emphasize the tactical wisdom of a smaller force (Cambridge), while others see it as a test of David’s faith (Gill). |
| David’s leadership at Besor | David did not force the faint to go on; he left them with the baggage and continued. | No disagreement; the commentators commend David’s prudence and trust in God. |
| Geographical identity of Besor | The brook Besor is a wadi in the Negev, probably Wadi esh-Sheriah south of Gaza. | The identification is not certain, but all supplied sources agree on the general location. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The nachal Besor (brook Besor) was a seasonal wadi in the Negev, probably the modern Wadi esh-Sheriah, flowing into the Mediterranean south of Gaza. David and his six hundred men had marched from Ziklag, recently burned by the Amalekites, on a desperate pursuit. Their journey began after a three-day return from the Philistine army encampment, followed by the shock of finding their families taken captive. The emotional toll had been immense: the men wept until they had no strength left, and some spoke of stoning David (1 Samuel 30:6). In that state, David “strengthened himself in Yahweh his God,” inquired through the ephod, and received the promise of full recovery.
When they reached the ravine of Besor, the cumulative exhaustion overwhelmed two hundred of them. The Cambridge Bible notes that for a rapid pursuit, a smaller force of picked men was tactically suitable. Gill adds that the two hundred were not merely weary but looked “like a corpse,” a condition both emotional and physical. David did not shame them or abandon them: he left them with the supplies and pressed on with four hundred. The surrounding context, the Egyptian slave left for dead (v.11-12), and later the sharing of spoil (v.21-24), shows that God provided for David’s weakened army in unexpected ways. The brook Besor becomes a landmark not of failure but of God’s care for the exhausted and of David’s wisdom in leading a broken people.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Samuel 30:9-10. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the ancient translations (Septuagint, Syriac, Targum) agree on the substance of the passage. The only minor variation is in the wording of the last clause in verse 9, which is clarified by verse 10. No variants affect interpretation.
Reception History
This passage has been read in Christian tradition as a model of compassionate leadership and God’s provision for the weak. Matthew Henry (early 1700s) used it to illustrate David’s wisdom in not reproaching the faint-hearted. Later expositors such as Adam Clarke and JFB drew attention to the physical realism of the narrative, grief and exhaustion are not spiritual failures. In the broader history of interpretation, the Brook Besor has been cited in discussions of just warfare (the treatment of those who cannot fight) and of the inclusion of the limited in God’s victories. The equal sharing of spoil (v.24) became a principle used in church polity discussions about fair distribution of ministry rewards. No major theological controversy has attached to these verses, which have instead served as a straightforward example of God’s care for the exhausted and the importance of trusting divine guidance even when resources dwindle.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Human exhaustion meets divine promise. The two hundred were too faint to go on, yet God had already guaranteed success. Our limits do not nullify God’s commitment.
- Leadership acknowledges real limits. David did not force the faint to continue or condemn them. He left them with the baggage and pressed on with the able.
- God provides for the whole company. The faint ones later shared the spoil equally, and the Egyptian slave, another broken figure, became the key to victory.
Five-point outline
- Context: crisis, grief, and the threat of mutiny (1 Samuel 30:1-6)
- David anchors himself in God and seeks guidance (vv.7-8)
- The split at Besor: two hundred can’t go on; David leads four hundred (vv.9-10)
- God’s provision through the abandoned Egyptian (vv.11-15)
- The spoil shared with those who stayed (vv.21-24)
Illustration hooks
- A marathon runner hits the wall at mile 20 and has to stop, but the team still finishes the race, and the runner shares in the victory celebration.
- A work team has some members who are too ill to finish a project. The leader assigns them to rest and guard the supplies, and everyone gets equal credit at the end.
- A family on a long hike splits; the stronger ones go ahead to scout while the weaker rest at a stream, all part of the same plan.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does it mean I have weak faith if I can’t keep up physically or emotionally?
- Why would God let some of the army be too exhausted to fight, if He promised to deliver?
- How do I lead a group when some members are struggling while others are ready to go?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a moment of honest limitation in a story of divine rescue. The two hundred men who stay behind are not the heroes, but they are not forgotten either. David’s leadership in allowing them to rest, and God’s provision of an unexpected guide, set the stage for a victory that includes everyone. Use these questions to explore how human weakness fits within God’s work.
Discussion questions
- What do you learn about David’s emotional and spiritual state in the verses just before this passage (vv.6-8)?
- Why do you think the two hundred men were unable to cross the brook? What does the Hebrew word pagare add to your understanding?
- What does David’s response to their exhaustion tell you about his character as a leader?
- How does the later sharing of the spoil (v.24) shape the meaning of the split at Besor?
- Can you think of a time when you or someone you know felt “too faint” to continue serving? How did the situation resolve?
- What does this passage teach about God’s care for those who cannot keep up?
- How might this story encourage someone who feels they have been left behind in ministry or church life?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 27:2 | David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. |
| Joshua 15:4 | and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border. |
| Judges 8:4 | Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing. |
| Judges 8:5 | He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” |
| I Samuel 14:20 | Saul 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. |
| I Samuel 14:31 | They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint; |
| I Samuel 30:21 | David 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. |
| Amos 6:14 | For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel,” says Yahweh, the God of Armies; “and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the brook Besor as a stream from Idumea flowing into the Mediterranean, possibly the same as the river of Egypt. His point about the 200 men is that they were not deserters but simply too exhausted to continue, so they stayed to guard the baggage.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies Besor as the stream called Wady Sheriah, which flows into the Mediterranean just south of Gaza. This geographical detail gives readers a specific location for the place mentioned in the narrative.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that a small force of picked men was chosen for rapid pursuit, and identifies the brook Besor as a ravine or torrent-bed rather than a perennial stream. The word for faint, used only here and in verse 21, literally connects to a word for corpse, meaning the men were utterly exhausted, or dead-beat.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that two hundred of David's six hundred men were too exhausted to cross the river Besor and therefore stayed behind. This detail highlights the physical weariness that separated the group, leaving only four hundred to continue with David on further pursuit.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the two hundred men who remained behind at the brook Besor were not cowards but utterly exhausted from grief and marching, so weak they could not cross. He clarifies these men were not left at Ziklag but at the brook, and notes their willingness despite their physical collapse.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies the brook Besor as a seasonal stream near Gaza. Its banks provided a natural resting place where exhausted soldiers could stop and recover. For them, this geographical detail explains why the pursuit halted at that specific location.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasizes that David returned to Ziklag on the third day after his dismissal by Achish, meaning the Amalekites had raided and burned the town three days earlier. His distress came when his men blamed him and wanted to stone him. David strengthened himself not by natural courage but by seeking consolation through prayer and trusting the Lord.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that David’s crisis at Ziklag was a direct result of his own sins—weak faith, deceit, and brutality against the Amalekites. Yet the decisive difference from Saul’s ruin is that David, when his own men threatened to stone him,
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that David's first move in the crisis was not to rush into battle but to seek God's will through the ephod. David did not trust his own judgment or grief but specifically asked the Lord whether to pursue, and only after receiving God's command did he act, securing the promise of total recovery.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that four hundred men is strikingly few for the daring mission David planned. Yet David’s faith was not in numbers but in God’s power and faithfulness, giving God the glory rather than relying on human strength.