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.

Listen to this chapter

David Returns to a Burned Ziklag

On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.

They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way.

When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.

David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken captive.

And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

David Seeks Guidance from the Lord

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,

and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.”

So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind

because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.

Finding the Abandoned Egyptian Guide

Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat—

a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.

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.

We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”

“Will you lead me to these raiders?” David asked. And the man replied, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will lead you to them.”

The Rout of the Amalekites

So he led David down, and there were the Amalekites spread out over all the land, eating, drinking, and celebrating the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.

And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels.

So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.

And he recovered all the flocks and herds, which his men drove ahead of the other livestock, calling out, “This is David’s plunder!”

David Establishes the Law of Distribution

When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him from the Brook of Besor, they came out to meet him and the troops with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them,

but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”

But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders who came against us.

Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”

And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute as an ordinance for Israel to this very day.

Sharing the Spoil and Building Alliances

When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”

He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;

to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa;

to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites;

to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach;

and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed.

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.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

1 Samuel30

David Returns to a Burned Ziklag

David Seeks Guidance from the Lord

Finding the Abandoned Egyptian Guide

The Rout of the Amalekites

David Establishes the Law of Distribution

Sharing the Spoil and Building Alliances

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options