And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.

These helped David against the rovers: for they were all most valiant men, and were made commanders in the army.

And they helped David in his expeditions; for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.

and they have helped with David over the troop, for mighty of valour are all of them, and they are captains in the host,

And they gave David help against the armed bands, for they were all great men of war, and captains in the army.

As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands that were of Manasseh.

These offered assistance to David against the robbers. For all were very strong men, and they became leaders in the army.

The band of the rovers - See the marginal reference.

And they helped David against the (g) band [of the rovers]: for they [were] all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.
(g) That is, of the Amalekites who had burned the city of Ziklag, (1-Samuel 30:1, 1-Samuel 30:9).

And they helped David against the band of the rovers,.... The Amalekites, who, while he was gone with the Philistines, had seized on Ziklag, and burnt it, and carried the women captive, with what spoil they could make; these coming to David thus opportunely, assisted him in his pursuit and defeat of them:
for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host; or army of David.

they helped David against the band--that is, the Amalekites who had pillaged Ziklag in David's absence. This military expedition was made by all his men (1-Samuel 30:9), who, as David's early helpers, are specially distinguished from those who are mentioned in the latter portion of the chapter.

These
(Note: We take והמּה to refer to the Manassites named in 1-Chronicles 12:20, like the והמּה of 1-Chronicles 12:1 and the הם אלּה הם eht of 1-Chronicles 12:15. Bertheau, on the contrary, thinks on various grounds that המּה refers to all the heroes who have been spoken of in vv. 1-20. In the first place, it was not the Manassites alone who took part in the conflict with Amalek, for David won the victory with his whole force of 600 men (1-Samuel 30:9), among whom, without doubt, those named in vv. 1-18 were included. Then, secondly, a clear distinction is made between those who gave in their adhesion to and helped David at an earlier period (1-Chronicles 12:1, 1-Chronicles 12:7, 1-Chronicles 12:22), and those who came to him in Hebron (1-Chronicles 12:23). And finally, the general remark in 1-Chronicles 12:22 is connected with 1-Chronicles 12:21 by the grounding כּי, so that we must regard 1-Chronicles 12:21 and 1-Chronicles 12:22 as a subscription closing the preceding catalogues. but none of these arguments are very effective. The grounding כי in 1-Chronicles 12:22 does not refer to the whole of 1-Chronicles 12:21, but only to the last clause, or, to be more accurate, only to בּצּבא, showing that David had an army. The second proves nothing, and in the first only so much is correct, that not merely the seven Manassites named in 1-Chronicles 12:20 took, part in the battle with Amalek, but also the warriors who had formerly gone over to David; but from that there is not the slightest reason to conclude that this is expressed by והמּה. It is manifest from the context and the plan of the register, that וגו עזרוּ והמּה can only refer to those of whom it is said in 1-Chronicles 12:20 that they went over to David as he was returning to Ziklag. If 1-Chronicles 12:21 and 1-Chronicles 12:22 were a subscription to all the preceding registers, instead of והמּה another expression which would separate the verse somewhat more from that immediately preceding would have been employed, perhaps כּל־אלה.)
helped David הגּדוּד על, against the detachment of Amalekites, who during David's absence had surprised and burnt Ziklag, and led captive the women and children (1-Samuel 30:1-10). This interpretation, which Rashi also has (contra turmam Amalekitarum), and which the Vulgate hints at in its adversus latrunculos, rests upon the fact that in 1-Samuel 30:8, 1-Samuel 30:15, the word הגּדוּד, which in general only denotes single detachments or predatory bands, is used of the Amalekite band; whence the word can only refer to the march of David against the Amalekites, of which we have an account in 1-Samuel 30:9., and not to the combats which he had with Saul. "For they were all valiant heroes, and were שׂרים, captains in the army," sc. which gathered round David.

Against - Against the Amalekites who had taken and burnt Ziklag, whom David and his six hundred men were now pursuing.