1 Samuel 30 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

1 Samuel 30

David’s Wives Are Captured

30:1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all¹ who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,² each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”

David Defeats the Amalekites

16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,³ and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.” 27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

Footnotes

[1] 30:2 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and all
[2] 30:6 Compare 22:2
[3] 30:20 The meaning of the Hebrew clause is uncertain

Commentary

v1-2: Ziklag (Josh 19.5; 1 Chr 4.30) belonged to Judah. It had been captured by the Philistines, and then given to David (19.5); thus Achish's gift, which should have belonged to Israel anyway, became worthless.

Amalek was a descendant of Esau; and was profane, interested only in material things, and had been cursed by God (Deut 25.17-19). In 15.1-3, Amalek had not been destroyed by Saul. Now, they caused problems for David. We see that the failure of one person had consequences for another.

With both the armies of Israel and Philistia far to the north, Amalek took the opportunity to invade the south. Yet no one was killed in Ziklag; another sign of God's overruling. Later, all was recovered.

v3-6: The arrival of David and his men was traumatic. Having marched many miles, they found their loved ones captured. David suffered with his men, with Ahinoam and Abigail being captured. The men blamed David for their loss, and even spoke of stoning him.

David had lost his security with the Philistines, and now his security at Ziklag. He could not speak with Samuel or Jonathan, and his family was far away in Moab. He strengthened himself in God, who would never disappoint.

v7-8: David took the opportunity to seek the will of God. Unlike Saul, David heard God's voice, with a clear promise of victory.

v9-10: David arrived at Besor, having marched for three days from Aphek (29.1).

v11-15: God's overruling, in that David found an Egyptian slave who had survived for three days without food and water. He had been abandoned by his Amalekite master, having fallen ill. He was able to lead David to the Amalekite camp.

v16-17: The victory was promised, and was accomplished. Yet victory required effort and commitment, as David fought for a whole day. For his 400, this was a mighty victory, as the Amalekite army seems to have been much larger.

v18-20: David's victory included the recovery of everything they had lost.

v21-25: David's army shared the spoils of victory. Some wicked men amongst his army wanted to deprive the 200 who did not join battle of the spoils of victory.

The presence of such men in David's army is an indication of the mixed multitude that often follows a powerful leader. In contrast, Saul had chosen the best men of Israel (8.11; 14.52), yet his army would be defeated.

David made a distinction between weariness and half-heartedness; and he condemned the attitude of selfishness (Phil 2.3-4). His gracious action was reflected in the new practice of sharing the spoils of victory. This was important, as David would win many battles as king of Israel.

The N.T. has a similar principle; John 4.36-38; Acts 4.23-24; 15.4.

v26-31: David generously gave to others. Perhaps he had received gifts from these towns during the period he was fleeing from Saul. It is consistent with his care for Nabal's men and livestock (25.7-8). It seems that whilst David lived in the wilderness of southern Judah, he protected the various towns from Gentile attack. Once he went north, Amalek took advantage of his absence (v14). Perhaps for the first time, David was able to return the material kindness that others had shown him.