1 And it came to pass, when David H1732 and his men H582 were come H935 to Ziklag H6860 on the third H7992 day, H3117 that the Amalekites H6003 had invaded H6584 the south, H5045 and Ziklag, H6860 and smitten H5221 Ziklag, H6860 and burned H8313 it with fire; H784
2 And had taken the women H802 captives, H7617 that were therein: they slew H4191 not any, H376 either great H1419 or small, H6996 but carried them away, H5090 and went H3212 on their way. H1870
3 So David H1732 and his men H582 came H935 to the city, H5892 and, behold, it was burned H8313 with fire; H784 and their wives, H802 and their sons, H1121 and their daughters, H1323 were taken captives. H7617
4 Then David H1732 and the people H5971 that were with him lifted up H5375 their voice H6963 and wept, H1058 until they had no more power H3581 to weep. H1058
5 And David's H1732 two H8147 wives H802 were taken captives, H7617 Ahinoam H293 the Jezreelitess, H3159 and Abigail H26 the wife H802 of Nabal H5037 the Carmelite. H3761
6 And David H1732 was greatly H3966 distressed; H3334 for the people H5971 spake H559 of stoning H5619 him, because the soul H5315 of all the people H5971 was grieved, H4843 every man H376 for his sons H1121 and for his daughters: H1323 but David H1732 encouraged H2388 himself in the LORD H3068 his God. H430
7 And David H1732 said H559 to Abiathar H54 the priest, H3548 Ahimelech's H288 son, H1121 I pray thee, bring me hither H5066 the ephod. H646 And Abiathar H54 brought H5066 thither the ephod H646 to David. H1732
8 And David H1732 enquired H7592 at the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Shall I pursue H7291 after H310 this troop? H1416 shall I overtake H5381 them? And he answered H559 him, Pursue: H7291 for thou shalt surely H5381 overtake H5381 them, and without fail H5337 recover H5337 all.
9 So David H1732 went, H3212 he and the six H8337 hundred H3967 men H376 that were with him, and came H935 to the brook H5158 Besor, H1308 where those that were left behind H3498 stayed. H5975
10 But David H1732 pursued, H7291 he and four H702 hundred H3967 men: H376 for two hundred H3967 abode behind, H5975 which were so faint H6296 that they could not go over H5674 the brook H5158 Besor. H1308
11 And they found H4672 an Egyptian H376 H4713 in the field, H7704 and brought H3947 him to David, H1732 and gave H5414 him bread, H3899 and he did eat; H398 and they made him drink H8248 water; H4325
12 And they gave H5414 him a piece H6400 of a cake H1690 of figs, and two H8147 clusters of raisins: H6778 and when he had eaten, H398 his spirit H7307 came again H7725 to him: for he had eaten H398 no bread, H3899 nor drunk H8354 any water, H4325 three H7969 days H3117 and three H7969 nights. H3915
13 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
14 We made an invasion H6584 upon the south H5045 of the Cherethites, H3774 and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, H3063 and upon the south H5045 of Caleb; H3612 and we burned H8313 Ziklag H6860 with fire. H784
15 And David H1732 said H559 to him, Canst thou bring me down H3381 to this company? H1416 And he said, H559 Swear H7650 unto me by God, H430 that thou wilt neither kill H4191 me, nor H518 deliver H5462 me into the hands H3027 of my master, H113 and I will bring thee down H3381 to this company. H1416
16 And when he had brought him down, H3381 behold, they were spread abroad H5203 upon all H6440 the earth, H776 eating H398 and drinking, H8354 and dancing, H2287 because of all the great H1419 spoil H7998 that they had taken H3947 out of the land H776 of the Philistines, H6430 and out of the land H776 of Judah. H3063
17 And David H1732 smote H5221 them from the twilight H5399 even unto the evening H6153 of the next day: H4283 and there escaped H4422 not a man H376 of them, save four H702 hundred H3967 young H5288 men, H376 which rode H7392 upon camels, H1581 and fled. H5127
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 30
Commentary on 1 Samuel 30 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 30
When David was dismissed from the army of the Philistines he did not go over to the camp of Israel, but, being expelled by Saul, observed an exact neutrality, and silently retired to his own city Ziklag, leaving the armies ready to engage. Now here we are told,
1Sa 30:1-6
Here we have,
1Sa 30:7-20
Solomon observes that the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead, that the just falleth seven times a-day and riseth again; so it was with David. Many were his troubles, but the Lord delivered him out of them all, and particularly out of this of which we have here an account.
1Sa 30:21-31
We have here an account of the distribution of the spoil which as taken from the Amalekites. When the Amalekites had carried away a rich booty from the land of Judah and the Philistines they spent it in sensuality, in eating, and drinking, and making merry with it; but David disposed of the spoil taken after another manner, as one that knew that justice and charity must govern us in the use we make of whatever we have in this world. What God gives us he designs we should do good with, not serve our lusts with. In the distribution of the spoil,