The Meaning of 1 Samuel 23:27 Explained

1 Samuel 23:27

KJV: But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

YLT: And a messenger hath come in unto Saul, saying, 'Haste, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.'

Darby: But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee and come; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.

ASV: But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But there came  a messenger  unto Saul,  saying,  Haste  thee, and come;  for the Philistines  have invaded  the land. 

What does 1 Samuel 23:27 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 23:15-29 - A Relentless Pursuit Foiled
Amid outward strife, God is sure to provide some rill of human love-a tender friendship, a Jonathan. See Psalms 106:46. This is the mission of a friend-to strengthen our hands in God, whisper words of hope, and enter into renewed covenants with us. Is not this what our best Friend does? He finds us out in the deepest woods, and whispers His Fear not. There is no hunted soul to whom Jesus will not come to pour in the oil and wine of His presence.
Let us always strengthen our friends' hands in God. We sometimes weaken their good resolutions by our timid entreaties, as Peter did when he urged the Lord to spare Himself, Matthew 16:22. No, you must always help your friend to be his noblest and strongest. The angel strengthened the Redeemer in the garden. The one word for us to pass on is, "O man, greatly beloved, fear not; peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong," Daniel 10:19.
The Ziphites made a direct bid for Saul's favor, but their plot miscarried. When a man puts his life into God's hands, he has no need to fear "the arrow by day nor the terror by night." Whatever difficulties threaten him, there is ever a way of escape. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 23

1  David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah
7  God showing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites,
13  he escapes from Keilah
14  In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him
19  The Ziphites discover him to Saul
25  At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines
29  He dwells at En Gedi

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 23:27 mean?

But a messenger came to Saul saying Hasten and come for have invaded the Philistines on the land
וּמַלְאָ֣ךְ בָּ֔א אֶל־ שָׁא֖וּל לֵאמֹ֑ר מַהֲרָ֣ה וְלֵ֔כָה כִּֽי־ פָשְׁט֥וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים עַל־ הָאָֽרֶץ

וּמַלְאָ֣ךְ  But  a  messenger 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
בָּ֔א  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שָׁא֖וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מַהֲרָ֣ה  Hasten 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
וְלֵ֔כָה  and  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
פָשְׁט֥וּ  have  invaded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּשַׁט  
Sense: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.