The Meaning of 2 Samuel 23:10 Explained

2 Samuel 23:10

KJV: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

YLT: he hath arisen, and smiteth among the Philistines till that his hand hath been weary, and his hand cleaveth unto the sword, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation on that day, and the people turn back after him only to strip off.

Darby: He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

ASV: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He arose,  and smote  the Philistines  until  his hand  was weary,  and his hand  clave  unto the sword:  and the LORD  wrought  a great  victory  that day;  and the people  returned  after  him only to spoil. 

What does 2 Samuel 23:10 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 23:8-17 - David's Mighty Men
David's yearning for the water of the well of Bethlehem was very natural. He could almost see the ancient well-head, where as a lad he had gone with his mother to draw water. In the scorching heat that beat down on the hillside that sultry afternoon, nothing seemed so desirable as a draught from those cool depths. So does the exile yearn for home, and the backslider for his early blessedness. But, thank God, we cannot wish for the Water of Life-if we wish with all our heart-without having it. To wish is to enjoy. Our Mighty Savior has broken through the Philistines, and has won for us access to the springs of eternal blessedness.
It was very noble of David to refuse to drink that which had been obtained at such cost. Self-control and thoughtfulness for others are graces that bind men's hearts to their leaders. Moreover, David's example suggests a quite different call which modern conditions make upon us for the exercise of similar self-control. Should we not refuse to make any use of wine and strong drink which have cost, and are costing, the lives of myriads? God forbid that any of us should enjoy, for our selfish pleasures, the deadliest foe of human happiness, purity and hope. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 23

1  David, in his last words, professes his faith in God's promises
6  The different state of the wicked
8  A catalogue of David's mighty men

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 23:10 mean?

He arose and attacked the Philistines until that was weary his hand and stuck his hand to the sword and brought about Yahweh a victory great day that and the people returned after him only to plunder -
ה֣וּא קָם֩ וַיַּ֨ךְ בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים עַ֣ד ׀ כִּֽי־ יָגְעָ֣ה יָד֗וֹ וַתִּדְבַּ֤ק יָדוֹ֙ אֶל־ הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהוָ֛ה תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וְהָעָ֛ם יָשֻׁ֥בוּ אַחֲרָ֖יו אַךְ־ לְפַשֵּֽׁט ס

קָם֩  arose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וַיַּ֨ךְ  and  attacked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים  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.
עַ֣ד ׀  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יָגְעָ֣ה  was  weary 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָגַע  
Sense: to toil, labour, grow weary, be weary.
יָד֗וֹ  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַתִּדְבַּ֤ק  and  stuck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּבַק  
Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.
יָדוֹ֙  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַחֶ֔רֶב  the  sword 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וַיַּ֧עַשׂ  and  brought  about 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה  a  victory 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.
גְדוֹלָ֖ה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֑וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְהָעָ֛ם  and  the  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יָשֻׁ֥בוּ  returned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אַחֲרָ֖יו  after  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אַךְ־  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
לְפַשֵּֽׁט  to  plunder 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: פָּשַׁט  
Sense: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation