1 Samuel Chapter 30 — David Rescues His People
After finding Ziklag destroyed and their families captured, David pursues the Amalekites, recovers everything, and establishes a rule for sharing spoils.
1When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire,
2and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off and went their way.
3When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were taken captive.
4Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep.
5David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
7David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here to me.”
8David inquired of the LORD, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?”
9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
10But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor.
11They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink.
12They gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no water for three days and three nights.
13David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?”
14We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?”
16When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.
18David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.
19There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken. David brought them all back.
20David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.”
21David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them.
22Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away and depart.”
23Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which the LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
24Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.”
25It was so from that day forward that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”
27He sent it to those who were in Bethel, to those who were in Ramoth of the South, to those who were in Jattir,
28to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in Eshtemoa,
29to those who were in Racal, to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,
30to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach,
31to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
1 Samuel 30:6
“David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
This verse highlights David's personal resilience and faith during a moment of extreme leadership crisis and personal grief.
1 Samuel 30:24
“For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.”
This verse establishes a lasting biblical principle of equity and collective contribution within the community.
Chapter Summary
Upon returning to Ziklag, David and his six hundred men find the city burned and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. While his men contemplate stoning him in their extreme grief, David finds strength in God and seeks divine guidance through the priest Abiathar using the ephod. Encouraged by God to pursue, David leads his men, though two hundred remain behind at the brook Besor due to exhaustion. Assisted by an abandoned Egyptian servant who leads them to the enemy camp, David's forces surprise the Amalekites during a victory celebration. David recovers all captives and property, losing nothing. Following the battle, David rejects the idea of excluding the exhausted men from the plunder, decreeing that those who stay with the supplies share equally with those who fight. Finally, David distributes portions of the recovered spoils to various elders and friends throughout Judah, reinforcing his leadership and local alliances.
Frequently Asked Questions
The men were overcome with bitter grief because the Amalekites had burned their city and taken their wives and children captive while they were away with the Philistine army.
David and his men found an abandoned Egyptian servant who had been left to die by his Amalekite master; after David provided him with food and water, the servant led them to the raiders' camp.
David decreed that those who are too exhausted to fight but stay behind to guard the supplies should receive an equal share of the plunder as those who went into battle.
David sent portions of the recovered goods to the elders of Judah and his friends in various cities where he and his men had previously stayed, such as Bethel, Hebron, and Hormah.
Study Note
The use of the ephod by Abiathar the priest signifies David's reliance on formal oracular inquiry to discern God's will before taking military action.
Related Chapters
1 Samuel 27
Explains how David and his men came to be living in the Philistine territory of Ziklag.
1 Samuel 31
The following chapter records the death of Saul, which occurs simultaneously with David's victory.
Numbers 31
Contains earlier biblical precedents regarding the distribution of spoils after a battle.
Continue in the App
Get the full experience — immersive audio, instant explanations, highlights, notes, and reading plans.