1 Samuel30

Upon returning to Ziklag, David and his men found their city burned and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. Though distressed and threatened by his own men, David encouraged himself in the Lord and pursued the raiders. Guided by an Egyptian servant, David utterly defeated the Amalekites, recovering all that was lost and establishing an ordinance for sharing spoil.
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David Returns to a Burned Ziklag

1
And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; ​
2
And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3
So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4
Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ​
5
And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. ​

David Seeks Guidance from the Lord

7
And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. ​
8
And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. ​
9
So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10
But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. ​

Finding the Abandoned Egyptian Guide

11
And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; ​
12
And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. ​
13
And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
14
We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15
And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. ​

The Rout of the Amalekites

16
And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. ​
17
And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
18
And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19
And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. ​
20
And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

David Establishes the Law of Distribution

21
And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. ​
22
Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. ​
23
Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
24
For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. ​
25
And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. ​

Sharing the Spoil and Building Alliances

26
And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD; ​
27
To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
28
And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
29
And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
30
And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
31
And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt. ​

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 30

Verse 1

The Amalekites, Israel's ancient and persistent enemies, attacked Ziklag while David and his men were away serving the Philistines. This timing highlights the precarious position David was in, caught between two opposing powers.

Verse 4

The intensity of their grief is captured by the phrase 'wept, until they had no more power to weep,' showing the depth of the loss felt by the entire company.

Verse 6

Facing extreme pressure (the threat of stoning) from his own desperate men, David’s response is a profound act of faith. He did not panic or retaliate, but 'encouraged himself in the LORD his God,' turning inward to divine strength.

Verse 7

David calls for the ephod, the priestly vestment containing the Urim and Thummim, used as instruments to discern God’s will. This action contrasts sharply with the recent failure of Saul to seek divine counsel (1 Sam 28:6).

Verse 8

God’s immediate and clear response validates David’s faith and provides the necessary military assurance. The promise 'recover all' establishes the theme of complete restoration for the chapter.

Verse 10

The 200 men who were too weak to cross the brook Besor introduce the logistical and moral conflict that David resolves later in the chapter regarding the division of the spoil.

Verse 11

The finding of this sick, abandoned slave represents divine providence. The enemy’s carelessness (leaving him behind) becomes the means by which God delivers the enemy into David's hands.

Verse 12

The detailed description of the food (figs and raisins) emphasizes the care David’s men showed to the Egyptian, restoring his strength and highlighting the humanitarianism that secured their key intelligence.

Verse 15

The Egyptian's demand for an oath shows his justified fear of being killed or returned to his harsh master. David’s commitment to this oath highlights his emerging integrity as a leader.

Verse 16

The Amalekites' widespread feasting and celebration indicate their overconfidence and lack of military discipline, making them vulnerable to David’s surprise attack.

Verse 19

The thoroughness of the recovery ('nothing lacking') fulfills the explicit promise God made to David in verse 8, underscoring God's faithfulness to those who seek Him.

Verse 21

The 200 exhausted men came out to meet David, demonstrating loyalty despite their inability to participate in the battle, setting the stage for the crucial dispute over the spoil.

Verse 22

The 'wicked men and men of Belial' (worthless men) attempted to overturn the customary standard of sharing, reflecting a selfish, greedy attitude that David had to quickly suppress to maintain unity.

Verse 24

David establishes a crucial principle of equity: those who remain behind to guard the supplies are equally vital to the mission’s success as those who fight. Therefore, the spoil must be divided equally.

Verse 25

This ruling was so wise and just that it became a codified 'statute and an ordinance' for Israel, demonstrating David’s role as a lawgiver and reinforcing his authority long before he became king.

Verse 26

David uses the recovered spoil as a strategic political tool. By sharing the 'present' with the elders of Judah, he solidifies loyalty within his home tribe and prepares the ground for his future kingship.

Verse 31

Hebron is listed last because it was the most significant location; this city would soon become David’s first capital when he was crowned king of Judah (2 Sam 2:1-4), showing the strategic importance of these gifts.

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