History · Chapter 30 of 31

1 Samuel 30

Returning to Ziklag, David and his men find it burned and their families carried off by Amalekite raiders. The men, embittered, speak of stoning David, but he strengthens himself in the LORD and inquires through the ephod. Directed to pursue, he overtakes the raiders, recovers everyone and everything, and decrees that those who guarded the supplies share the spoil equally with those who fought.

What happens in 1 Samuel 30

David and his men reach Ziklag to find it burned and their wives and children taken by Amalekites. They weep until they have no strength, and the grieving men talk of stoning David. But David strengthens himself in the LORD his God and calls for the ephod, asking whether to pursue. The LORD promises he will overtake them and recover all. David sets out with six hundred men; two hundred are too exhausted to cross the brook Besor and stay behind. Along the way they find a sick Egyptian slave abandoned by the Amalekites, revive him with food, and he guides them to the raiders, who are feasting over their plunder.

David attacks from twilight into the next evening and recovers everything, losing nothing, rescuing every captive. When some wicked men refuse to share with the two hundred who stayed, David rules that all share alike, making it a lasting statute, and he sends gifts to the elders of Judah.

1 Samuel 30 in context

This deliverance comes at nearly the same hour Saul falls at Gilboa, contrasting the rising anointed with the dying king. David is at his lowest, having just returned from the Philistine muster to devastation at home. The ephod allowed the priest to seek God's guidance.

The Amalekites were Israel's ancient enemies. The equal-share rule David establishes here becomes an enduring principle in Israel, born from a shepherd-king's sense of fairness.

Main themes of 1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 30 (KJV)

1And 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; 2And 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. 3So 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. 4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6And 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. 7And 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. 8And 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. 9So 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. 10But 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. 11And 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; 12And 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. 13And 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. 14We 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. 15And 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. 16And 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. 17And 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. 18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 19And 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. 20And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil. 21And 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. 22Then 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. 23Then 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. 24For 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. 25And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. 26And 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; 27To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir, 28And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa, 29And 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, 30And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

Verses to carry from 1 Samuel 30

“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.”1 Samuel 30:6

“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.”1 Samuel 30:8

“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. 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.”1 Samuel 30:23-24

Reflection

There are moments when everything is gone and even your companions turn on you. David's response was not a strategy but a direction: he strengthened himself in the LORD. Where do you run when you are emptied out? Before you plan or defend or despair, turn your heart toward God as David did, and let his promises steady you enough to take the next faithful step.

A prayer from 1 Samuel 30