1 Samuel 30:8

And David inquired of the Lord ,.... That is, by Abiathar, who reported his questions to the Lord in his name:

saying, shall I pursue after this troop ? the large company of the Amalekites, as it appears by what follows they were:

shall I overtake them ? two questions are here put together, and answers returned to them, contrary to a notion of the Jews; See Gill on 1 Samuel 23:11 ,

and he answered him, pursue ; which respects the first question:

for thou shall surely overtake them ; which is an answer to the second question, and a full one, giving full assurance of overtaking; to which is added more than what was inquired about:

and without fail recover all ; their wives, sons, and daughters, and the spoil that was taken; or "in delivering thou shall deliver" F16 הצל תציל "eruendo erues", Pagninus, Montanus; "eripiendo erepturus es", Piscator. , out of the hands of the Amalekites, whatsoever they had taken.