דברי הימים א, פרק י״ב, פסוק ט׳

A vulnerable group hiding in the desert suddenly received an influx of elite warriors. At a time when David's camp consisted mostly of isolated adventurers and desperate men fleeing debts or threats [ביאור שטיינזלץ], a skilled band of fighters from the tribe of Gad arrived to pledge their loyalty.

Living across the Jordan River, these men had no direct personal stake in the ongoing conflicts. Yet, they chose to leave their homes and join David in the wilderness strongholds of Maon and Ein Gedi, where he was hiding from King Saul [רש״י, רלב״ג, מלבי״ם]. To do this, they had to make a clean break from their previous lives. This separation meant either defecting directly from Saul's army [מצודת דוד] or walking away from high ranking positions as military commanders [מלבי״ם]. Chronologically, this bold move happened quite early. They joined David before he relocated to Ziklag [רלב״ג] and even before the previously mentioned fighters from the tribe of Benjamin arrived [מלבי״ם].

These men were highly trained experts in close combat [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. In battle, they wielded large shields and long, heavy spears with deadly precision [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Their physical presence alone was terrifying, as their faces held the fierce, intimidating look of lions [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Despite carrying heavy weaponry and possessing such a frightening appearance, they were incredibly agile. They could move swiftly across the rugged mountain terrain, running with the speed and lightness of gazelles escaping a hunter [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].