1 Samuel 30:13

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

And David {H1732} said {H559} unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said {H559}, I am a young man {H5288} of Egypt {H4713}, servant {H5650} to an Amalekite {H376}{H6003}; and my master {H113} left {H5800} me, because three {H7969} days {H3117} agone I fell sick {H2470}.

Complete Jewish Bible

David asked him, "To whom do you belong, and where are you from?" He answered, "I'm an Egyptian boy, the slave of an 'Amaleki. My master abandoned me three days ago, because I got sick.

Berean Standard Bible

Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill.

American Standard Version

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 ago I fell sick.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
1 Samuel 30:13 marks a critical turning point in David's pursuit of the Amalekite raiders who had devastated Ziklag and abducted his family. This verse records David's direct interrogation of a sick, abandoned Egyptian servant, whose identity and testimony become the indispensable key to locating the enemy camp and orchestrating the successful recovery of all that was lost. It highlights David's leadership in crisis, his compassionate yet strategic inquiry, and God's providential use of unexpected circumstances to achieve His purposes.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated immediately after David and his men, having returned to a burned Ziklag and found their families taken captive, experienced profound distress, even to the point of contemplating stoning David. However, David "encouraged himself in the Lord his God" ([1 Samuel 30:6](/1_samuel/30-6 "1 Samuel 30:6 - David Encourages Himself in the Lord")). After consulting the Urim and Thummim, David received divine confirmation to pursue the raiders ([1 Samuel 30:7-8](/1_samuel/30-7 "1 Samuel 30:7 - David Consults the Ephod")). While on their pursuit, a portion of David's men became too exhausted to continue ([1 Samuel 30:9-10](/1_samuel/30-9 "1 Samuel 30:9 - David's Pursuit and the Exhausted Men")), but David pressed on with the remaining four hundred. It is at this juncture, finding a dying man in a field, that the events of [1 Samuel 30:11-12](/1_samuel/30-11 "1 Samuel 30:11 - The Discovery of the Egyptian Servant") and the pivotal interrogation in [1 Samuel 30:13](/1_samuel/30-13 "1 Samuel 30:13 - David Interrogates the Egyptian Servant") unfold, setting the stage for the dramatic recovery.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Amalekites were a nomadic, predatory people, long-standing enemies of Israel, against whom God had declared perpetual war ([Exodus 17:16](/exodus/17-16 "Exodus 17:16 - God's War with Amalek")). Their raid on Ziklag was characteristic of their opportunistic and destructive nature. The practice of taking captives, particularly women and children, was common in ancient warfare, often for ransom or enslavement. The abandonment of a sick servant, as described here, reveals the callousness inherent in their culture, prioritizing mobility and self-preservation over the well-being of their dependents. Servitude was a common societal structure, and an abandoned servant would have been utterly vulnerable, making David's act of providing sustenance before interrogation particularly noteworthy in that cultural landscape.
* **Key Themes:** [1 Samuel 30:13](/1_samuel/30-13 "1 Samuel 30:13 - David Interrogates the Egyptian Servant") powerfully illustrates several key themes. Firstly, **Divine Providence** is evident in the "accidental" discovery of the abandoned servant. God often uses seemingly insignificant or unexpected individuals and circumstances to guide His chosen servants and fulfill His plans, turning a dire situation into an opportunity for divine intervention. Secondly, **Compassion and Inquiry** are intertwined. David's men first offered food and water to the dying man ([1 Samuel 30:11-12](/1_samuel/30-11 "1 Samuel 30:11 - David's Men Aid the Egyptian Servant")) before David posed his questions, demonstrating a blend of human kindness and strategic intelligence. This act of mercy likely fostered trust, encouraging the servant to disclose vital information. Thirdly, the **Value of Information** is paramount. The servant's identity and the reason for his abandonment provided David with the precise intelligence needed to track the Amalekites, highlighting how critical and timely information can be in overcoming overwhelming odds. This encounter ultimately leads to the complete recovery of all that was lost, fulfilling God's promise to David in [1 Samuel 30:8](/1_samuel/30-8 "1 Samuel 30:8 - God's Promise to David").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **To whom (Hebrew, _l'mi'_):** This interrogative pronoun, meaning "to whom" or "whose," is David's immediate and primary question. It seeks to establish the man's allegiance, ownership, or master. In a society where individuals were often identified by their familial or vocational ties, knowing "to whom" one belonged was fundamental to understanding their status, loyalties, and potential value or threat. David's inquiry is not merely casual but a strategic attempt to ascertain the man's connection to the recent raid.
* **Whence (Hebrew, _me'ayin'_):** This adverbial interrogative, meaning "from where" or "from what place," complements the first question by seeking to establish the man's origin or background. Together with "to whom," it aims to provide a comprehensive initial profile of the individual. His origin as an "Egyptian" immediately sets him apart from the Israelites and the Amalekites, suggesting he is a foreigner, likely a mercenary or slave, which is then confirmed by his subsequent statement.
* **Servant (Hebrew, _'eved'_):** This noun denotes a slave or bondservant. The Egyptian's self-identification as "servant to an Amalekite" is the crucial piece of information David needed. It immediately links him to the very enemy David is pursuing, transforming him from a mere casualty of the wilderness into a direct source of intelligence about the raiders. The term highlights his dependent status and the harsh reality of his abandonment.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And David said unto him, To whom [belongest] thou? and whence [art] thou?":** David's questions are direct, concise, and strategically designed to extract critical information. The KJV's bracketed words "[belongest]" and "[art]" are supplied by translators for English grammatical flow, but the Hebrew questions are equally sharp: "Whose are you? And from where are you?" David, in a moment of extreme urgency and personal anguish, demonstrates keen leadership by prioritizing intelligence gathering. He doesn't waste time on pleasantries but immediately seeks to understand the man's identity and connection to the situation. This shows his resolve and practical approach to leadership in crisis.
* **"And he said, I [am] a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite;":** The servant's reply is equally direct and provides the first crucial pieces of the puzzle. His identification as a "young man of Egypt" establishes his nationality, indicating he is a foreigner. More importantly, his immediate follow-up, "servant to an Amalekite," confirms his direct association with David's enemies. This statement instantly validates David's line of questioning and provides the necessary link to the perpetrators of the Ziklag raid. The KJV's bracketed "[am]" similarly aids English syntax.
* **"and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.":** This final clause provides the critical context for the servant's presence and, more importantly, reveals the callousness of the Amalekites. His abandonment "because three days agone I fell sick" explains why he was found in such a vulnerable state. This detail not only elicits sympathy but also provides a timeline ("three days agone") that helps David estimate the Amalekites' lead and direction. It also underscores the brutal nature of the Amalekites, who would discard a sick servant rather than care for him, a trait consistent with their historical cruelty towards others.

#### Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices. Foremost is **Dialogue**, which drives the narrative forward, revealing character and advancing the plot through direct speech. David's incisive questions demonstrate his strategic mind and urgency, while the servant's concise answers provide immediate, vital information. There is also a strong element of **Irony**: the very cruelty of the Amalekites in abandoning a sick servant becomes the means of their undoing, as this discarded individual holds the key to their location and ultimate defeat. This highlights how evil often contains the seeds of its own destruction. Furthermore, the discovery of the servant functions as a form of **Deus ex Machina** (God from the machine), where a seemingly impossible situation is resolved by an unexpected, providential intervention. While not a literal machine, the sudden appearance of this abandoned man, holding the exact intelligence David needs, clearly illustrates God's hand orchestrating events to deliver His servant.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This encounter with the abandoned Egyptian servant powerfully underscores God's meticulous providence, demonstrating that even in the darkest moments of despair, divine intervention can emerge from the most unexpected sources. David's act of compassion towards a dying, discarded individual not only reflects godly character but also proves strategically beneficial, illustrating that mercy can open doors to vital information and aid in the pursuit of justice. The narrative reinforces the truth that God often uses the "least of these" or seemingly insignificant circumstances to accomplish His mighty purposes, turning human weakness or neglect into instruments of divine deliverance. This aligns with a broader biblical pattern where God confounds the wise and powerful through the simple and overlooked.

* [Exodus 17:16](/exodus/17-16 "Exodus 17:16 - God's Perpetual War with Amalek")
* [Psalm 18:25](/psalms/18-25 "Psalm 18:25 - God's Faithfulness to the Faithful")
* [1 Samuel 30:18-19](/1_samuel/30-18 "1 Samuel 30:18 - David Recovers All")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The story of David and the abandoned Egyptian servant provides a profound lesson in how God's providence often operates through unconventional channels, reminding us that critical answers or direction can come from the most unexpected sources. In our own moments of crisis, when we feel overwhelmed and lost, this passage encourages us to remain open to divine guidance, recognizing that God's solutions may not always align with our preconceived notions. Furthermore, David's compassionate response to a vulnerable stranger, even amidst his own deep distress and urgent mission, serves as a powerful model for us. It demonstrates that acts of mercy are not merely ethical imperatives but can also be strategically beneficial, fostering trust and opening doors to vital information or assistance. This narrative challenges us to cultivate a heart of compassion, even towards those we might initially dismiss, and to approach challenges with diligent inquiry, seeking wisdom and understanding from all available, even surprising, sources.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does David's response to the abandoned servant challenge my own tendency to overlook or dismiss those who seem insignificant or burdensome?**
* **In what ways have I experienced God's providence working through unexpected people or circumstances in my own life?**
* **How can I cultivate a balance between urgent action and compassionate care, as exemplified by David in this passage?**
* **What "information" or insights might God be trying to provide me through seemingly peripheral or overlooked individuals in my current situation?**

### FAQ
**Why was the Egyptian servant abandoned by the Amalekites?**

Answer: The servant explicitly states that his master, an Amalekite, "left me, because three days agone I fell sick." This reveals the callous and pragmatic nature of the Amalekites. They were a nomadic, raiding people who prioritized speed and mobility. A sick or injured servant would have been a hindrance to their rapid movements and a burden to care for, especially after a successful raid where they were laden with plunder. Their decision to abandon him highlights their lack of compassion and their focus on self-preservation and material gain, a characteristic consistent with their historical cruelty towards others, including Israel ([Exodus 17:8-16](/exodus/17-8 "Exodus 17:8 - Amalek Attacks Israel")). This act of abandonment, though cruel, inadvertently provided David with the crucial intelligence he needed.

**How did David know to ask such specific questions about the servant's origin and master?**

Answer: David's questions, "To whom [belongest] thou? and whence [art] thou?", demonstrate his strategic leadership and keen understanding of the ancient world. In that era, a person's identity and allegiance were often defined by their family, tribe, or master. David, facing a crisis of immense personal and national significance, needed immediate and actionable intelligence. By asking about the man's "belonging" (i.e., his master or affiliation) and his "origin," David was efficiently seeking to establish the man's connection to the recent raid on Ziklag. His experience as a military leader and his reliance on God's guidance ([1 Samuel 30:8](/1_samuel/30-8 "1 Samuel 30:8 - David Consults the Lord")) likely sharpened his ability to ask the right questions in a high-stakes situation, leading directly to the breakthrough information he desperately needed.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The encounter with the abandoned Egyptian servant in [1 Samuel 30:13](/1_samuel/30-13 "1 Samuel 30:13 - David Interrogates the Egyptian Servant") powerfully foreshadows the redemptive work of Christ, particularly in His compassion for the marginalized and His use of the "least of these." Just as David, though in distress, extended mercy to a discarded, dying man, Jesus consistently sought out and ministered to the outcasts, the sick, and the forgotten of society. The Egyptian servant, left for dead by his cruel master, finds life and purpose through David's intervention, becoming an instrument of salvation for David's household. This mirrors Christ's mission to seek and save the lost ([Luke 19:10](/luke/19-10 "Luke 19:10 - The Son of Man Came to Seek and to Save the Lost")), those abandoned by sin and death. Furthermore, God's use of this seemingly insignificant individual to bring about a great victory for David reflects the New Testament principle that God often chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the strong and wise ([1 Corinthians 1:27-28](/1_corinthians/1-27 "1 Corinthians 1:27 - God Chooses the Weak")). Ultimately, Christ Himself is the compassionate Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep, bringing about complete recovery and restoration, far surpassing David's recovery of material possessions to the eternal recovery of souls. His ultimate act of compassion on the cross, abandoned by God and man, became the means by which humanity, once lost and sick in sin, could be found and restored to the Father ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

James 2:13

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Proverbs 12:10

¶ A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel.

Job 31:13

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

Job 31:15

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?