1 Samuel 30:17-27

17 From dawn until evening the next day, David attacked them. No one escaped except 400 young men who rode away on camels.

18 David rescued everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.

19 Nothing was missing--young or old, sons or daughters, the loot or anything else they had taken with them. David brought back everything.

20 He took all the sheep and the cattle. His men drove the animals ahead of him and said, "This is David's loot."

21 David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had stayed in the Besor Valley. They came to meet David and the people with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them.

22 Then every wicked and worthless man who had gone with David said, "Since they didn't go with us, they shouldn't be given any of the loot we recovered. Each of them should take only his wife and children and leave."

23 But David said, "My brothers, don't do that with the things which the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed the troops that attacked us over to us.

24 Besides, who is going to pay attention to what you have to say in this matter? Certainly, the share of those who go into battle must be like the share of those who stay with the supplies. They will all share alike."

25 From that time on he made this a rule and a custom in Israel as it is to this day.

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the loot to his friends, the leaders of Judah. He said, "Here is a gift for you from the loot [taken from] the LORD's enemies."

27 There were shares for those in Bethel, Ramoth in the Negev, Jattir,

1 Samuel 30:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 30

This chapter relates the condition Ziklag was in when David and his men came to it, the city burnt, and their families carried captive by the Amalekites, which occasioned not only a general lamentation, but mutiny and murmuring in David's men, 1Sa 30:1-6; the inquiry David made of the Lord what he should do, who is bid to pursue the enemy; and being directed by a lad where they were, fell upon them, and routed them, and brought back the captives with a great spoil, 1Sa 30:7-20; the distribution of the spoil, both to those that went with him, and to those who through faintness were left behind, 1Sa 30:21-25; and the presents of it he sent to several places in the tribe of Judah, who had been kind to him when he dwelt among them, 1Sa 30:26-31.