1 Samuel 30 Study Notes: David Recovers All from the Amalekites
David returns to find Ziklag burned and every family carried off by Amalekite raiders, and his grieving men talk of stoning him. He draws strength from the LORD, pursues at His word, and recovers everyone and everything. He rules that supply guards share equally with fighters and sends gifts to Judah's elders.
General
When David asked the LORD whether to pursue the raiders, what answer did he receive (1 Samuel 30:7-8)?
Answer: To go after them, since he would catch them and free the captives
David asked Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod, a priestly garment through which God gave answers to His people’s questions (30:7). Abiathar had escaped when Saul had the priests of Nob killed and had fled to David (22:20), and David had sought the LORD this way before at Keilah (23:9-12). David asked whether he should chase the raiders and whether he would catch them. The LORD told him to pursue, promising that he would certainly catch up with them and bring the captives back (30:8). The contrast with Saul is striking: the LORD had refused to answer Saul at all (28:6), but He answers David clearly.
- 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (BSB)“Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””David asks Abiathar for the ephod and inquires of the LORD, who tells him to pursue and promises success.
- 1 Samuel 22:20 (BSB)“But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.”Abiathar had escaped the slaughter of the priests at Nob and fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 23:9-12 (BSB)“When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.”David had used the ephod with Abiathar before to seek the LORD’s guidance at Keilah.
- 1 Samuel 28:6 (BSB)“He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.”By contrast, the LORD had given Saul no answer at all.
Theological
What did the LORD answer when David inquired through the ephod about the raiders (1 Samuel 30:7-8)?
Answer: To go after them, since he would catch them and free the captives
David called for the ephod through Abiathar the priest (30:7), the survivor of Nob who had fled to him (22:20) and through whom David had already sought the LORD’s direction at Keilah (23:9-12). Asked whether to pursue and whether he would overtake, the LORD commanded pursuit and promised both overtaking and rescue (30:8). The contrast with 28:6 is plain: the rejected king receives no word by any means, while the LORD’s chosen king receives a clear answer and a promise.
- 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (BSB)“Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””David asks Abiathar for the ephod and inquires of the LORD, who tells him to pursue and promises success.
- 1 Samuel 22:20 (BSB)“But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.”Abiathar had escaped the slaughter of the priests at Nob and fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 23:9-12 (BSB)“When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.”David had used the ephod with Abiathar before to seek the LORD’s guidance at Keilah.
- 1 Samuel 28:6 (BSB)“He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.”By contrast, the LORD had given Saul no answer at all.
General
In his great distress at Ziklag, where did David find his strength (1 Samuel 30:6)?
Answer: In his God, the LORD
With his home burned, his family gone, and his own men talking of stoning him, David drew strength from his God, the LORD (30:6). The verse does not describe exactly what he did, but it states the source of his courage plainly. This is a change from chapter 27, where David had reasoned that he must flee to the Philistines (27:1). Here, when every human support has failed, he turns to the LORD, as God’s people are called to do: to trust Him continually and pour out their hearts to Him (Psalm 62:8). David later sang of the LORD as his rock and deliverer (Psalm 18:2), and the prophet Habakkuk rejoiced in God even when everything else had failed (Habakkuk 3:17-18). The contrast with Saul, who in his own distress turned to a medium (28:15), is clear.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 (BSB)“And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”In his distress, with his men talking of stoning him, David finds strength in the LORD his God.
- Psalm 62:8 (BSB)“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”God’s people are called to trust Him continually and pour out their hearts to Him as their refuge.
- Psalm 18:2 (BSB)“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”David later described the LORD as his rock, fortress and deliverer.
- Habakkuk 3:17-18 (BSB)“Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”The prophet rejoices in the LORD even when every visible source of security has failed.
Theological
In the crisis at Ziklag, where did David find his strength (1 Samuel 30:6)?
Answer: In his God, the LORD
Bereft of family and facing mutiny, David strengthened himself from his God, the LORD (30:6). The narrator does not describe the means, but the source is explicit, and it marks a turn from the private reasoning of 27:1. When all earthly supports collapse, David turns to the One the psalms commend as His people’s refuge, to be trusted at all times (Psalm 62:8), the LORD he would later celebrate as his rock and deliverer (Psalm 18:2), much as Habakkuk exulted in God amid total loss (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Set beside Saul, who in his own distress turned to a medium (28:15), the contrast between the two kings is plain.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 (BSB)“And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”In his distress, with his men talking of stoning him, David finds strength in the LORD his God.
- Psalm 62:8 (BSB)“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”God’s people are called to trust Him continually and pour out their hearts to Him as their refuge.
- Psalm 18:2 (BSB)“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”David later described the LORD as his rock, fortress and deliverer.
- Habakkuk 3:17-18 (BSB)“Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”The prophet rejoices in the LORD even when every visible source of security has failed.
General
Why had the Egyptian whom David’s men found in the field been left behind (1 Samuel 30:13)?
Answer: His Amalekite master abandoned him when he became sick
David’s men came upon a man from Egypt out in the open country and took him to their leader. They gave him water, food, a piece of fig cake and raisins, and he revived, since he had eaten and drunk nothing for three full days (30:11-12). He explained that he served an Amalekite master as a slave, and that his master had left him behind three days before because he fell ill (30:13). He had been part of the raid on Ziklag (30:14). The kindness shown to this abandoned foreigner fits Scripture’s call to love the foreigner (Deuteronomy 10:19) and even to feed an enemy (Proverbs 25:21). The Egyptian then asked David to swear not to kill him or hand him back to his master, and he agreed to lead them to the raiders (30:15).
- 1 Samuel 30:11-12 (BSB)“Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat— a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.”David’s men find a starving Egyptian in the field and give him food and water.
- 1 Samuel 30:13 (BSB)“Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill.”The Egyptian explains that he is an Amalekite’s slave, abandoned by his master when he fell ill.
- Deuteronomy 10:19 (BSB)“So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”God’s law told Israel to love the foreigner, remembering their own past in Egypt.
- Proverbs 25:21 (BSB)“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”Scripture commends giving food and water even to one’s enemy.
Theological
What account did the Egyptian give of how he came to be left in the field (1 Samuel 30:13)?
Answer: His Amalekite master abandoned him when he became sick
Found starving in the field, the Egyptian was revived with water, food, fig cake and raisins after three days without food or drink (30:11-12). He identified himself as an Amalekite’s slave whose master had abandoned him three days earlier when he fell sick (30:13), and confirmed he had taken part in the raid on Ziklag (30:14). The mercy shown to a helpless foreigner accords with the law’s command to love the sojourner (Deuteronomy 10:19) and the wisdom that feeds even an enemy (Proverbs 25:21). Secured by an oath that he would be neither killed nor returned to his master, he agreed to guide David to the raiders (30:15).
- 1 Samuel 30:11-12 (BSB)“Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat— a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.”David’s men find a starving Egyptian in the field and give him food and water.
- 1 Samuel 30:13 (BSB)“Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill.”The Egyptian explains that he is an Amalekite’s slave, abandoned by his master when he fell ill.
- Deuteronomy 10:19 (BSB)“So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”God’s law told Israel to love the foreigner, remembering their own past in Egypt.
- Proverbs 25:21 (BSB)“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”Scripture commends giving food and water even to one’s enemy.
General
What rule did David set for dividing the plunder (1 Samuel 30:24-25)?
Answer: Those who guarded the supplies would receive the same share as the fighters
David ruled that the man who guarded the baggage would receive a portion equal to that of the man who fought; all would divide alike (30:24). The narrator adds that from that day on David made this a statute and ordinance, a fixed rule, for Israel, still in force in the narrator’s own day (30:25). The principle was not entirely new: after the war with Midian, the LORD had commanded that the captives be divided between the soldiers who fought and the whole community (Numbers 31:27). David’s ruling follows from his reason in 30:23: since the victory was the LORD’s gift, all of His people shared in it, whatever their role.
- 1 Samuel 30:24-25 (BSB)“Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.”David rules that those who guard the supplies share equally with those who fight, and this becomes a lasting statute in Israel.
- Numbers 31:27 (BSB)“Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.”After the war with Midian, the LORD had ordered the captives divided between the fighters and the rest of the congregation.
- 1 Samuel 25:13 (BSB)“And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.”Earlier, too, two hundred of David’s men had stayed with the supplies while four hundred went out.
Theological
What ordinance did David establish concerning the division of spoil (1 Samuel 30:24-25)?
Answer: Those who guarded the supplies would receive the same share as the fighters
David decreed that the portion of the baggage guard would equal the portion of the warrior (30:24), and the narrator records that this became a standing statute and ordinance in Israel from that day (30:25). A related principle appears in the LORD’s command after the Midianite war that the captives be divided between combatants and the congregation (Numbers 31:27), and it fits a force that had divided this way before (25:13). Grounded in 30:23, the statute expresses that what is the LORD’s gift belongs to all His people alike, whatever their station.
- 1 Samuel 30:24-25 (BSB)“Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.”David rules that those who guard the supplies share equally with those who fight, and this becomes a lasting statute in Israel.
- Numbers 31:27 (BSB)“Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.”After the war with Midian, the LORD had ordered the captives divided between the fighters and the rest of the congregation.
- 1 Samuel 25:13 (BSB)“And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.”Earlier, too, two hundred of David’s men had stayed with the supplies while four hundred went out.
General
What was the result of David’s attack on the Amalekite camp (1 Samuel 30:18-19)?
Answer: He brought back every person and all the goods, with nothing lost
The Egyptian led David to the Amalekites, who were spread out over the countryside, feasting on the huge haul seized from Philistine and Judean territory (30:16). David attacked them from dusk through the following day until evening, and only four hundred escaped, fleeing on camels (30:17). David got back all that the raiders had seized, his two wives among them, and nothing was missing, whether young or old, sons or daughters, or plunder (30:18-19). This was exactly what the LORD had promised when David inquired of Him (30:8). As in Joshua’s day, the LORD’s word did not fail (Joshua 21:45).
- 1 Samuel 30:18-19 (BSB)“So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.”David recovers everything the Amalekites took, including his two wives; nothing is missing.
- 1 Samuel 30:8 (BSB)“and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””The LORD had promised that David would overtake the raiders and rescue the captives.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Not one of the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; all came to pass.
Theological
What does the narrator say about the outcome of David’s attack on the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:18-19)?
Answer: He brought back every person and all the goods, with nothing lost
Led to the Amalekites as they caroused over their plunder from Philistine and Judean lands (30:16), David struck them from dusk through the following day, with only four hundred escaping on camels (30:17). The recovery was total: his two wives, every captive young and old, sons and daughters, and all the plunder, with nothing lacking (30:18-19). The outcome is the exact fulfillment of the LORD’s promise in 30:8, and like the conquest under Joshua, it shows that not one of the LORD’s good words fails (Joshua 21:45).
- 1 Samuel 30:18-19 (BSB)“So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.”David recovers everything the Amalekites took, including his two wives; nothing is missing.
- 1 Samuel 30:8 (BSB)“and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””The LORD had promised that David would overtake the raiders and rescue the captives.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Not one of the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; all came to pass.
General
To whom did David send some of the recovered plunder after returning to Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:26)?
Answer: To his friends among Judah’s elders
Back in Ziklag, David sent a portion of the spoil to Judah’s elders, whom the text calls his friends, describing it as a present taken from those who were the LORD’s enemies (30:26). The gifts went to a long list of towns, ending with Hebron and every place David’s band had wandered during his years as a fugitive (30:27-31). By calling the Amalekites the LORD’s enemies, David presents the victory as the LORD’s, much as Abigail had said he fought the LORD’s battles (25:28). The text does not spell out his further purpose, but soon afterward the LORD sent David to Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1), and Judah’s men anointed him there as their king (2 Samuel 2:4).
- 1 Samuel 30:26 (BSB)“When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.””David sends some of the plunder to the elders of Judah as a gift from the spoil of the LORD’s enemies.
- 1 Samuel 30:31 (BSB)“and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed.”The list of towns ends with Hebron and all the places where David and his men had roamed.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 (BSB)“Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live.”Abigail had said that David fights the LORD’s battles, the outlook his gift message reflects.
- 2 Samuel 2:1 (BSB)“Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.”After Saul’s death the LORD directed David to Hebron, the last town named in this list.
- 2 Samuel 2:4 (BSB)“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.””Soon afterward, the men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David king over Judah.
Theological
To whom did David send gifts from the plunder upon his return to Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:26)?
Answer: To his friends among Judah’s elders
David distributed part of the spoil to Judah’s elders, his friends, presenting it as a gift seized from the LORD’s foes (30:26), and the list of recipients runs through a long list of towns to Hebron and every place his band had frequented (30:27-31). The description frames the victory over Amalek as the LORD’s, in keeping with Abigail’s word that David fought the LORD’s battles (25:28). The narrator does not state a political motive, but the sequel is telling: the LORD directed David to Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1), and there Judah’s men anointed him as their king (2 Samuel 2:4).
- 1 Samuel 30:26 (BSB)“When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.””David sends some of the plunder to the elders of Judah as a gift from the spoil of the LORD’s enemies.
- 1 Samuel 30:31 (BSB)“and to those in Hebron and in all the places where David and his men had roamed.”The list of towns ends with Hebron and all the places where David and his men had roamed.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 (BSB)“Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live.”Abigail had said that David fights the LORD’s battles, the outlook his gift message reflects.
- 2 Samuel 2:1 (BSB)“Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.”After Saul’s death the LORD directed David to Hebron, the last town named in this list.
- 2 Samuel 2:4 (BSB)“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.””Soon afterward, the men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David king over Judah.
General
Why did David’s own men talk of stoning him (1 Samuel 30:6)?
Answer: Each was bitterly grieved over his own sons and daughters
David and his troops wept aloud until they were utterly spent (30:4). David’s own two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been taken too (30:5). Then the situation grew worse: the men talked of stoning David, because each of them was bitter with grief over his children (30:6). The text gives that grief as the reason; it does not say they blamed him for anything more specific. David was now in deep distress, like Moses before him when the people were ready to stone him (Exodus 17:4), or Joshua and Caleb when the congregation threatened them (Numbers 14:10).
- 1 Samuel 30:4 (BSB)“So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.”David and his men weep until they have no strength left.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 (BSB)“And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”The grieving people talk of stoning David, but David finds strength in the LORD his God.
- Exodus 17:4 (BSB)“Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!””Moses also faced a people ready to stone him in a time of crisis.
- Numbers 14:10 (BSB)“But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.”The whole congregation once threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb.
Theological
What reason does the narrator give for the men’s talk of stoning David (1 Samuel 30:6)?
Answer: Each was bitterly grieved over his own sons and daughters
After weeping until they were utterly spent (30:4), and with David’s own wives Ahinoam and Abigail among the captives (30:5), the men turned on their leader and talked of stoning him, since every one of them was embittered over his children (30:6). The narrator gives their grief as the cause and assigns no further charge. David’s distress places him in the line of leaders whom their own people threatened to stone in a crisis: Moses (Exodus 17:4) and Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:10).
- 1 Samuel 30:4 (BSB)“So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.”David and his men weep until they have no strength left.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 (BSB)“And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”The grieving people talk of stoning David, but David finds strength in the LORD his God.
- Exodus 17:4 (BSB)“Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!””Moses also faced a people ready to stone him in a time of crisis.
- Numbers 14:10 (BSB)“But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.”The whole congregation once threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb.
General
On what basis did David reject the proposal not to share the plunder (1 Samuel 30:23)?
Answer: The plunder was the LORD’s gift, since He had kept them safe and given the victory
David called the men his brothers and told them they must not act this way with the LORD’s own gift to them (30:23). His reason was that the LORD had protected them and handed the raiders over to them. In other words, the victory and the plunder were not earned by the strength of the four hundred; they were a gift from God. Moses had warned Israel against thinking their own strength had produced their wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18), and a psalm confesses that Israel’s victories came by God’s power, not their own sword (Psalm 44:3). Paul asks the same question in the New Testament: what does anyone have that he did not receive (1 Corinthians 4:7)? Because the plunder was a gift, no one could claim it as his own reward.
- 1 Samuel 30:23 (BSB)“But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders who came against us.”David says the plunder is what the LORD has given, since He protected them and handed the raiders over to them.
- Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (BSB)“You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.”Moses warned Israel not to credit their own strength for their wealth, since the LORD gives the power to gain it.
- 1 Corinthians 4:7 (BSB)“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”Paul asks what anyone has that he did not receive, ruling out boasting in gifts.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel’s victories came not by their own sword but by God’s power and favor.
Theological
What theological ground did David give for overruling the men who would not share (1 Samuel 30:23)?
Answer: The plunder was the LORD’s gift, since He had kept them safe and given the victory
Addressing the men as brothers, David forbade them to act so with the LORD’s gift, for the LORD had preserved them and delivered the raiders into their hand (30:23). The argument is grace: the victory and its spoils were the LORD’s gift, not wages earned by the four hundred. The principle runs through Scripture: Israel was not to credit its own power for its wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18), its victories were won not by its own sword but by God’s right hand and favor (Psalm 44:3), and Paul presses the same logic against boasting, since everything a believer has is received (1 Corinthians 4:7). What is received as a gift cannot be hoarded as merit.
- 1 Samuel 30:23 (BSB)“But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiders who came against us.”David says the plunder is what the LORD has given, since He protected them and handed the raiders over to them.
- Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (BSB)“You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.”Moses warned Israel not to credit their own strength for their wealth, since the LORD gives the power to gain it.
- 1 Corinthians 4:7 (BSB)“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”Paul asks what anyone has that he did not receive, ruling out boasting in gifts.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel’s victories came not by their own sword but by God’s power and favor.
General
True or False: All six hundred of David’s men crossed the Besor brook and joined the pursuit.
Answer: False
This is false. David set out with his whole force of six hundred, but when they reached the Besor brook, two hundred of them were too worn out to cross, so they stayed behind while David went on with four hundred (30:9-10). The two hundred are important later, because David will insist that those who guarded the baggage receive the same share as those who fought (30:24). A similar division had happened before, when two hundred men remained with the baggage (25:13).
- 1 Samuel 30:9-10 (BSB)“So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.”Two hundred of David’s men are too exhausted to cross the Besor brook, so four hundred continue the pursuit.
- 1 Samuel 25:13 (BSB)“And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.”On an earlier occasion two hundred of David’s men had also stayed behind with the supplies.
- 1 Samuel 30:24 (BSB)“Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.””The men left at Besor are later described as those who stayed with the supplies.
Theological
True or False: David’s entire force of six hundred crossed the Besor brook in pursuit of the Amalekites.
Answer: False
This is false. Of David’s six hundred, two hundred were too worn out to get across the Besor brook and remained behind, while David pressed on with four hundred (30:9-10). The detail is set up for the ruling of 30:24, where the baggage guards receive equal shares; a similar division had occurred in 25:13.
- 1 Samuel 30:9-10 (BSB)“So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.”Two hundred of David’s men are too exhausted to cross the Besor brook, so four hundred continue the pursuit.
- 1 Samuel 25:13 (BSB)“And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.”On an earlier occasion two hundred of David’s men had also stayed behind with the supplies.
- 1 Samuel 30:24 (BSB)“Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.””The men left at Besor are later described as those who stayed with the supplies.
General
What did some of the men who fought propose about the recovered plunder (1 Samuel 30:22)?
Answer: To give those who stayed behind only their wives and children
When David came back to the men who had waited at the Besor brook, he greeted them (30:21). But some of the men who had gone into battle, whom the narrator calls wicked and worthless, said that since the two hundred had not gone with them, they should get none of the recovered plunder, only their own wives and children, and then they could leave (30:22). The narrator’s description makes his judgment clear. Scripture warns against holding back good that others deserve (Proverbs 3:27) and contrasts the generous with those who withhold what is right (Proverbs 11:24-25).
- 1 Samuel 30:22 (BSB)“but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.””Some wicked and worthless men among David’s fighters refuse to share the plunder with those who stayed behind.
- Proverbs 3:27 (BSB)“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.”Scripture forbids withholding good from those who deserve it when one has the power to act.
- Proverbs 11:24-25 (BSB)“One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”Scripture contrasts the generous person who prospers with the one who withholds what is right.
Theological
What proposal did certain of David’s fighting men make concerning the plunder (1 Samuel 30:22)?
Answer: To give those who stayed behind only their wives and children
After David greeted those left at Besor (30:21), the men whom the narrator brands wicked and worthless among the fighting force demanded that those who had not gone into battle receive none of the recovered plunder, only their wives and children, and then depart (30:22). The narrator’s label is his verdict. Wisdom forbids holding back good that others deserve (Proverbs 3:27) and sets such withholding against the generosity that is blessed (Proverbs 11:24-25).
- 1 Samuel 30:22 (BSB)“but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.””Some wicked and worthless men among David’s fighters refuse to share the plunder with those who stayed behind.
- Proverbs 3:27 (BSB)“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.”Scripture forbids withholding good from those who deserve it when one has the power to act.
- Proverbs 11:24-25 (BSB)“One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”Scripture contrasts the generous person who prospers with the one who withholds what is right.
General
What had the Amalekites done to the women and others at Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-2)?
Answer: Carried them all off as captives without killing anyone
When David’s band got back to Ziklag from the Philistine army, they found that Amalekite raiders had swept through the Negev, the dry south country, and had attacked and burned the town (30:1). They had seized every woman and everyone else in the town, young and old, but had killed no one; they simply led them away (30:2). David himself had been raiding the Amalekites from Ziklag (27:8). That everyone was taken alive matters for what follows, because it meant every captive could still be brought home (30:19).
- 1 Samuel 30:1-2 (BSB)“On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way.”Returning to Ziklag, David finds that the Amalekites have burned it and carried off everyone without killing them.
- 1 Samuel 27:8 (BSB)“Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)”David had earlier raided the Amalekites from Ziklag.
- 1 Samuel 30:19 (BSB)“Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.”Because the captives had been taken alive, David was later able to bring every one of them back.
Theological
What does the narrator say the Amalekites did with the people of Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-2)?
Answer: Carried them all off as captives without killing anyone
Reaching Ziklag from Aphek, David’s company found that Amalekite raiders had swept the Negev and burned the town (30:1). The women and everyone else, young and old, had been seized alive and led away, with no one killed (30:2). The raiders belonged to the people David had been plundering from Ziklag (27:8). The detail that all were taken alive sets up the complete recovery of 30:19.
- 1 Samuel 30:1-2 (BSB)“On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way.”Returning to Ziklag, David finds that the Amalekites have burned it and carried off everyone without killing them.
- 1 Samuel 27:8 (BSB)“Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)”David had earlier raided the Amalekites from Ziklag.
- 1 Samuel 30:19 (BSB)“Nothing was missing, young or old, son or daughter, or any of the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David brought everything back.”Because the captives had been taken alive, David was later able to bring every one of them back.