The Meaning of 1 Samuel 30:11 Explained

1 Samuel 30:11

KJV: And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

YLT: and they find a man, an Egyptian, in the field, and take him unto David, and give to him bread, and he eateth, and they cause him to drink water,

Darby: And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink,

ASV: And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they found  an Egyptian  in the field,  and brought  him to David,  and gave  him bread,  and he did eat;  and they made him drink  water; 

What does 1 Samuel 30:11 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 30:1-15 - A Blow That Led Back To God
As David was leaving the battlefield, a number of men of Manasseh fell to him, 1 Chronicles 12:20, so his following was greatly increased. It was as if God had anticipated his coming trial, and prepared him to encounter it. "The God of his mercy prevented (literally, went before) him." But what a mercy it was that he had been sent back; that no garrison had been left to guard the women, which might have irritated the depredators; and that nobody had been killed, 1 Samuel 30:2!
In the first outburst of grief and horror, only divine and gracious interposition could have saved David's life. But this was the hour of his return to God. With the charred embers at his feet and anxiety gnawing at his heart, the threat of violence in his ears, and bitter compunction of conscience, "he strengthened himself in the Lord his God." From that hour he was his old, strong, glad, noble self. After months of neglect, he bade Abiathar bring him the ephod, and he inquired the will of God. Then with marvelous vigor he went in pursuit and recovered all. He had been brought out of an horrible pit, and again his feet were on the rock, Psalms 40:2. His "goings" could now be established. [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 30:11 mean?

And they found - an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and they gave him bread and he ate and they let him drink water
וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אִישׁ־ מִצְרִי֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־ דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּתְּנוּ־ ל֥וֹ לֶ֙חֶם֙ וַיֹּ֔אכַל וַיַּשְׁקֻ֖הוּ מָֽיִם

וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ  And  they  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
אִישׁ־  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִצְרִי֙  an  Egyptian 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִצְרִי  
Sense: Egyptian—an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt.
בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה  in  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וַיִּקְח֥וּ  and  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
דָּוִ֑ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיִּתְּנוּ־  and  they  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לֶ֙חֶם֙  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וַיֹּ֔אכַל  and  he  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וַיַּשְׁקֻ֖הוּ  and  they  let  him  drink 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁקָה  
Sense: to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water.
מָֽיִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.