Lux Domini

1 Samuel 30

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Samuel 30?

leadershipanointingobediencekingship

1 Samuel 30 belongs to the late movement of the book, especially the section often described as Saul’s collapse and death. First Samuel traces the fall of Eli’s house, the ministry of Samuel, the failure of Saul, and the painful emergence of David. Read this chapter with the wider themes of leadership, anointing, and obedience in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;   2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.   3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.   4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.   5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.   6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.   7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.   8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.   9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.   10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.   11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;   12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and 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 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.   14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.   15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.   16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.   17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.   18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.   19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.   20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.   21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.   22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.   23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.   24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.   25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.   26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;   27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,   28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,   29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,   30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,   31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.  

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1, 3-4, 6-11, 13, 15, 17-23, 26, 31

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .

Negeb Place v. 1, 14, 27

Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Beer Sheva.

Ziklag Place v. 1, 3, 14, 26

A town in the Negeb, or south country of Judah ( Josh. 15:31 ), in the possession of the Philistines when David fled to Gath from Ziph with all his followers. Modern identification: Tell esh Sharia.

City People v. 3

The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).

Abigail Person v. 5

Father (i. e., “leader”) of the dance, or “of joy. ” (1. ) The sister of David, and wife of Jether an Ishmaelite ( 1 Chr. 2:16 , 17). She was the mother of Amasa ( 2 Sam. 17:25 ).

Ahinoam Person v. 5

Brother of pleasantness = pleasant. (1. ) The daughter of Ahimaaz, and wife of Saul ( 1 Sam. 14:50 ). (2. ) A Jezreelitess, the first wife of David ( 1 Sam. 25:43 ; 27:3 ). She was the mother of Amnon ( 2 Sam. 3:2 ).

Carmel Place v. 5

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet el Kirmil.

Jezreel Place v. 5

God scatters. (1. ) A town of Issachar ( Josh. 19:18 ), where the kings of Israel often resided ( 1 Kings 18:45 ; 21:1 ; 2 Kings 9:30 ). Modern identification: Yatta.

Abiathar Person v. 7

Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli.

Besor Place v. 9-10, 21

Biblical river. Modern identification: Nahal HaBesor.

Egypt Place v. 13

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.

Caleb Tribe v. 14

A dog. (1. ) One of the three sons of Hezron of the tribe of Judah. He is also called Chelubai ( 1 Chr. 2:9 ). His descendants are enumerated (18-20, 42-49). (2. ) A “son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah” ( 1 Chr. 2:50 ).

Bethel Place v. 27

House of God. (1. ) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Gen. 28:19 ). Modern identification: Khirbet el Qaryatein.

Jattir Place v. 27

Pre-eminent, a city in the mountains of Judah ( Josh. 15:48 ; 21:14 ). Modern identification: Khirbet Attir.

Ramoth Place v. 27

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Horbat Uza.

Aroer Place v. 28

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Aro’er.

Eshtemoa Place v. 28

Obedience, a town in the mountains of Judah ( Josh. 21:14 ; 1 Chr. 6:57 ), which was allotted, with the land round it, to the priests. Modern identification: As Samu.

Siphmoth Place v. 28

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: As Samu.

Racal Place v. 29

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet el Kirmil.

Athach Place v. 30

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet el Ater.

Bor-ashan Place v. 30

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Asan.

Hormah Place v. 30

Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Masos.

Hebron Place v. 31

A community; alliance. (1. ) A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. Modern identification: Tel Rumeida.