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.

David Returns to a Burned Ziklag

1
When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire, ​
2
and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off, and went their way.
3
When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.
4
Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ​
5
David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6
David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. ​

David Seeks Guidance from the Lord

7
David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me here the ephod.” Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ​
8
David inquired of the LORD, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all.” ​
9
So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
10
But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor. ​

Finding the Abandoned Egyptian Guide

11
They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink. ​
12
They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. 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
David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” 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.
14
We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15
David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.” ​

The Rout of the Amalekites

16
When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. ​
17
David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled.
18
David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.
19
There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken to them. David brought back all. ​
20
David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.”

David Establishes the Law of Distribution

21
David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. ​
22
Then all the wicked men and base fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.” ​
23
Then David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with that which the LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
24
Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike.” ​
25
It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. ​

Sharing the Spoil and Building Alliances

26
When David came to Ziklag, he sent of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you of the plunder of the enemies of the LORD.” ​
27
He sent it to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir,
28
and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa,
29
and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,
30
and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach,
31
and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay. ​

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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