The Meaning of 1 Samuel 30:22 Explained

1 Samuel 30:22

KJV: Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

YLT: And every bad and worthless man, of the men who have gone with David, answereth, yea, they say, 'Because that they have not gone with us we do not give to them of the spoil which we have delivered, except each his wife and his children, and they lead away and go.

Darby: And all the wicked men, and men of Belial, of those that had gone with David, answered and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.

ASV: Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then answered  all the wicked  men  and [men] of Belial,  of those  that went  with David,  and said,  Because they went  not with us, we will not give  them [ought] of the spoil  that we have recovered,  save to every man  his wife  and his children,  that they may lead [them] away,  and depart. 

What does 1 Samuel 30:22 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 30:16-31 - Sharing The Spoil
He that lays hold on God's strength will be courteous in his behavior to the weak and weary, and will not quail before the clamor of men of Belial. Thus we are not surprised to learn that David kindly inquired of the two hundred as to their welfare, 1 Samuel 30:21, r.v. margin, and insisted that they should share equally with those who went to battle. This was a beautiful instance of sanctified common sense, and the reasonableness of the decision appealed to his followers. The gains and losses of the whole band must be shared equally by those at the front and in the rear. This is God's rule! He that receives the prophet shall have the prophet's reward. Girls who stay at home to care for aged mothers, instead of becoming missionaries; young men who maintain orphaned brothers and sisters; invalids confined to their rooms-let such take heart. They shall share in the victory of their Lord. David's thankful joy yielded practical fruit in his generous gifts to those who had showed him kindness in his adversity. Gratitude is the trait of a noble nature. Let us share our possessions with others less favored, and increase our own enjoyment, 2 Corinthians 8:14-15. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 30

1  The Amalekites raid Ziklag
4  David asking counsel, is encouraged by God to pursue them
11  By the means of a received Egyptian he is brought to the enemies,
18  and recovers all the spoil
22  David's law to divide the spoil equally
26  He sends presents to his friends

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 30:22 mean?

And answered all the men wicked and worthless of those who went with David and said because that not they did go with us we will give [any] them of the spoil we have recovered except except for every man - wife and children that they may lead [them] away and depart -
וַיַּ֜עַן כָּל־ אִֽישׁ־ רָ֣ע וּבְלִיַּ֗עַל מֵֽהָאֲנָשִׁים֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלְכ֣וּ עִם־ דָּוִד֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־ הָלְכ֣וּ עִמִּ֔י נִתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֔ם מֵהַשָּׁלָ֖ל הִצַּ֑לְנוּ כִּֽי־ אִם־ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־ אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־ בָּנָ֔יו וְיִנְהֲג֖וּ וְיֵלֵֽכוּ ס

וַיַּ֜עַן  And  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
אִֽישׁ־  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רָ֣ע  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וּבְלִיַּ֗עַל  and  worthless 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּלִיַּעַל  
Sense: worthlessness.
מֵֽהָאֲנָשִׁים֮  of  those 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָלְכ֣וּ  went 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דָּוִד֒  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יַ֚עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָלְכ֣וּ  they  did  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עִמִּ֔י  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
נִתֵּ֣ן  we  will  give  [any] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מֵהַשָּׁלָ֖ל  of  the  spoil 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
הִצַּ֑לְנוּ  we  have  recovered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
כִּֽי־  except 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אִם־  except 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
אִ֤ישׁ  for  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
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.
אִשְׁתּוֹ֙  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
בָּנָ֔יו  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְיִנְהֲג֖וּ  that  they  may  lead  [them]  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָהַג 
Sense: to drive, lead, guide, conduct.
וְיֵלֵֽכוּ  and  depart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation