1 Samuel 30

1Sa 30:1-5.

THE

AMALEKITES

SPOIL

ZIKLAG.

1. Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten

Ziklag--While the strength of the Philistine forces was poured out

of their country into the plain of Esdraelon, the Amalekite marauders

seized the opportunity of the defenseless state of Philistia to invade

the southern territory. Of course, David's town suffered from the

ravages of these nomad plunderers, in revenge for his recent raid upon

their territory.

2. they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them

away--Their conduct seems to stand in favorable contrast to that of

David

(1Sa 27:11).

But their apparent clemency did not arise from humane considerations.

It is traceable to the ancient war usages of the East, where the men of

war, on the capture of a city, were unsparingly put to death, but there

were no warriors in Ziklag at the time. The women and boys were

reserved for slaves, and the old people were spared out of respect to

age.

3. David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with

fire--The language implies that the smoke of the conflagration was

still visible, and the sacking very recent.

1Sa 30:6-15.

BUT

DAVID,

ENCOURAGED BY

GOD,

PURSUES

THEM.

6. David was greatly distressed--He had reason, not only on his own

personal account

(1Sa 30:5),

but on account of the vehement outcry and insurrectionary threats

against him for having left the place so defenseless that the families

of his men fell an unresisting prey to the enemy. Under the pressure of

so unexpected and widespread a calamity, of which he was upbraided as

the indirect occasion, the spirit of any other leader guided by

ordinary motives would have sunk;

but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God--His faith supplied

him with inward resources of comfort and energy, and through the

seasonable inquiries he made by Urim, he inspired confidence by

ordering an immediate pursuit of the plunderers.

9. came to the brook Besor--now Wady Gaza, a winter torrent, a little

to the south of Gaza. The bank of a stream naturally offered a

convenient rest to the soldiers, who, through fatigue, were unable to

continue the pursuit.

11-15. they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to

David--Old and homeborn slaves are usually treated with great kindness.

But a purchased or captured slave must look to himself; for, if feeble

or sick, his master will leave him to perish rather than encumber

himself with any additional burden. This Egyptian seems to have

recently fallen into the hands of an Amalekite, and his master having

belonged to the marauding party that had made the attack on Ziklag, he

could give useful information as to the course taken by them on their

return.

14. the Cherethites--that is, the Philistines

(Eze 25:16;

Zep 2:5).

15. Swear unto me by God--Whether there was still among these

idolatrous tribes a lingering belief in one God, or this Egyptian

wished to bind David by the God whom the Hebrews worshipped, the solemn

sanction of an oath was mutually recognized.

1Sa 30:16-31.

AND

RECOVERS

HIS

TWO

WIVES AND

ALL THE

SPOIL.

16. they were spread abroad upon all the earth--Believing that David

and all his men of war were far away, engaged with the Philistine

expedition, they deemed themselves perfectly secure and abandoned

themselves to all manner of barbaric revelry. The promise made in

answer to the devout inquiries of David

(1Sa 30:8)

was fulfilled. The marauders were surprised and panic-stricken. A

great slaughter ensued--the people as well as the booty taken from

Ziklag was recovered, besides a great amount of spoil which they had

collected in a wide, freebooting excursion.

21. David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they

could not follow--This unexpected accession of spoil was nearly proving

an occasion of quarrel through the selfish cupidity of some of his

followers, and serious consequences might have ensued had they not been

prevented by the prudence of the leader, who enacted it as a standing

ordinance--the equitable rule--that all the soldiers should share alike

(see

Nu 31:11;

see on

Nu 31:25).

26. when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of

Judah--This was intended as an acknowledgment to the leading men in

those towns and villages of Judah which had ministered to his

necessities in the course of his various wanderings. It was the dictate

of an amiable and grateful heart; and the effect of this well-timed

liberality was to bring a large accession of numbers to his camp

(1Ch 12:22).

The enumeration of these places shows what a numerous and influential

party of adherents to his cause he could count within his own tribe

[1Sa 30:27-31].