The Meaning of 1 Samuel 23:5 Explained

1 Samuel 23:5

KJV: So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

YLT: And David goeth, and his men, to Keilah, and fighteth with the Philistines, and leadeth away their cattle, and smiteth among them -- a great smiting, and David saveth the inhabitants of Keilah.

Darby: And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

ASV: And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David save the inhabitants of Keilah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So David  and his men  went  to Keilah,  and fought  with the Philistines,  and brought away  their cattle,  and smote  them with a great  slaughter.  So David  saved  the inhabitants  of Keilah. 

What does 1 Samuel 23:5 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 23:1-14 - Success And Safety Under God's Guidance
We learn here that those who are called to walk in the maze of human life need to look constantly upward for direction. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Our eyes need to be fixed constantly on the Lord. "Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." We have no priestly ephod to direct us. But if we roll the responsibility of our way on God and wait for Him, the conviction of His plan will steal into our hearts, and this will be corroborated by the advice of experienced friends and the trend of circumstances.
The recompense of the people of Keilah for David's noble interposition on their behalf was very base, and warns us not to trust in human safeguards, which are so liable to be broken down. The only place of absolute security is in God. Blessed are they whose life is "hid with Christ in God"! David knew that, and in these sad and difficult days, when he was hunted as a partridge on the mountains, he was composing some of his most helpful psalms. See Psalms 11:1-7; Psalms 54:1-7; Psalms 57:1-11. In our own troubled times, how good it is that we should listen to the sweet music of the eternal world which surrounds this one and in which the harried soul may have its abiding-place. [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 23:5 mean?

And went David - and his men to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and took away - their livestock and struck them with a blow Mighty so saved David - the inhabitants of Keilah -
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִד֩ [ואנשו] (וַאֲנָשָׁ֨יו) קְעִילָ֜ה וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיִּנְהַג֙ אֶת־ מִקְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּ֥ךְ בָּהֶ֖ם מַכָּ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣שַׁע דָּוִ֔ד אֵ֖ת יֹשְׁבֵ֥י קְעִילָֽה ס

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ  And  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דָּוִד֩  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
[ואנשו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
(וַאֲנָשָׁ֨יו)  and  his  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
קְעִילָ֜ה  to  Keilah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְעִילָה  
Sense: a city in the lowlands of Judah northwest of Hebron.
וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם  and  fought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים  with  the  Philistines 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, 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.
וַיִּנְהַג֙  and  took  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָהַג 
Sense: to drive, lead, guide, conduct.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִקְנֵיהֶ֔ם  their  livestock 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִקְנֶה  
Sense: cattle, livestock.
וַיַּ֥ךְ  and  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
מַכָּ֣ה  with  a  blow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַכָּה  
Sense: blow, wound, slaughter.
גְדוֹלָ֑ה  Mighty 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַיֹּ֣שַׁע  so  saved 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
קְעִילָֽה  of  Keilah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְעִילָה  
Sense: a city in the lowlands of Judah northwest of Hebron.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation

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