1 Samuel 30:17

“And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day, etc.] As there are two twilights, the twilight of the morning, and the twilight of the evening; this is differently understood some take it for the twilight of the morning, and that it was night when David came to them, and let them alone till they were drunk and asleep, and then early in the morning fell upon them, and smote them until the evening; so Josephus f558 relates it; but others take it to be the twilight of the evening, and that he fell upon them that night, and continued the slaughter of them to the evening of the next day, with which agrees the Targum; nay, some take the next day, or the morrow, to be…”

“Twilight - The word signifies both the morning and evening twilight. But the latter seems here intended, partly because their eating, and drinking, and dancing, was more proper work for the evening, than the morning; and partly, because the evening was more convenient for David, that the fewness of his forces might not be discovered by the day - light. It is probable, that when he came near them, he reposed himself, and his army, in some secret place, whereof there were many parts, for a convenient season; and then marched on so as to come to them at the evening time. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 30:20”

“30:17 The total number of Amalekite raiders must have been quite large if 400 young men escaped.”

“the next day: Heb. their morrow and there: Sa1 11:11; Jdg 4:16; Kg1 20:29, Kg1 20:30; Psa 18:42 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 30:19”

“David surprised them in the midst of their security, and smote them from the evening twilight till the evening of the next day, so that no one escaped, with the exception of four hundred young men, who fled upon camels. Nesheph signifies the evening twilight here, not the dawn, - a meaning which is not even sustained by Job 7:4. The form מחרתם appears to be an adverbial formation, like יומם. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 30:18”