1 Samuel 29:2

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands,.... Not that there were so many lords, for there were but five of them; but these marched, some at the head of hundreds with…

The lords - See Jdg 3:3 note, as distinguished from ordinary “princes” 1Sa 29:3. The military divisions of the Philistine army were by hundreds and by thousands, like those of the Israelites 1Sa 8:12.…

By hundreds, and by thousands - They were probably divided, as the Jewish armies, by fifties, hundreds, and thousands; each having its proper officer or captain.

Here is, I. The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he himself was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of any project of his own to get clear of it. The…

And the lords, &c. Render, Now the lords … were passing on. The narrative now goes back to a point of time during the march of the Philistine army northwards, probably soon after the junction of the…