1 Samuel 30:13

13 David asked him, "Who is your master, and where are you from?" "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite," he answered. "My master left me behind three days ago because I got sick.

1 Samuel 30:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 30:13

And David said unto him, to whom [belongest] thou?
&c.] To what country or people? and to whom among them?

and whence [art] thou?
of what nation? where wast thou born? what countryman art thou? for his being called an Egyptian before seems to be by anticipation, unless it was guessed at by his habit; for until he had eaten and drank he could not speak, and so could not be known by his speech:

for he said, I [am] a young man of Egypt;
that was the country he belonged to, and came from; he was an Egyptian by birth:

servant to an Amalekite;
one of those that had invaded the country, and burnt Ziklag, as it follows:

and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick;
which was very barbarous and cruel to leave him at all, when they had camels with them, ( 1 Samuel 30:17 ) ; and no doubt carriages for their arms, provision, and spoil, and men; and more so to leave him without anybody with him to take care of him, and without any food, when he capable of eating any; but so it was ordered by the providence of God, that should be left to be the instrument of the just ruin of his master, and of the whole troop.

1 Samuel 30:13 In-Context

11 The men with David found a young Egyptian out in the country and brought him to David. They gave him some food and water,
12 some dried figs, and two bunches of raisins. After he had eaten, his strength returned; he had not had anything to eat or drink for three full days.
13 David asked him, "Who is your master, and where are you from?" "I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite," he answered. "My master left me behind three days ago because I got sick.
14 We had raided the territory of the Cherethites in the southern part of Judah and the territory of the clan of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag."
15 "Will you lead me to those raiders?" David asked him. He answered, "I will if you promise me in God's name that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.