1 Samuel 30:11-21

11 And they found a (young) man of Egypt in the field, and they brought him to David; and they gave him bread, that he should eat, and water to drink (and they gave him some bread to eat, and some water to drink);
12 but also they gave to him a gobbet of a bundle of dried figs, and two clusters of dried grapes. And when he had eaten those, his spirit turned again to him, and he was comforted; for he had not eaten bread, neither had drunk water in three days and three nights. (and they also gave him a piece of a bundle of dried figs, and two clusters of dried grapes. And when he had eaten them, his spirit returned to him, and he was strengthened; for he had not eaten any bread, or drunk any water, for three days and three nights.)
13 Then David said to him, Whose man art thou, either from whence and whither goest thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of a man of Amalek; but my lord forsook me, for I began to be sick the third day ago.
14 For we brake out at the south coast of (the) Cherethites, and against Judah (near Judah), and at the south of Caleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said to him, Mayest thou lead me to this company? Which said (And the young man said), Swear thou to me by God, that thou shalt not slay me, and that thou shalt not betake me into the hands of my lord; and I shall lead thee to this company. And David swore to him.
16 And when the young man had led him thither, lo! they sat at the meat, upon the face of all the earth, eating and drinking, and as hallowing a feast day, for all the prey and spoils which they had taken of the land of Philistines, and of the land of Judah. (And when the young man had led him there, lo! they sat spread out over all the ground, eating and drinking, as if celebrating a feast day, because of all the prey and the spoils which they had taken from the land of the Philistines, and the land of Judah.)
17 And David smote them from the eventide unto the eventide of the tother day, and not any of them escaped, no but four hundred young men, that went upon camels, and fled (who went upon camels, and fled).
18 Forsooth David delivered all things which the men of Amalek took, and he delivered his two wives; (And so David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives;)
19 neither any of them failed, from little till to great, as well of sons as of daughters, and of spoils; and whatever things they had ravished, David led again all things; (no one was lost, from the least unto the greatest, sons as well as daughters; and all the spoils, yea, whatever they had taken, David brought home again.)
20 and he took all the flocks and great beasts, and drove them before his face. And they said, This is the prey of David (And the men said, This should all be David's prey).
21 Forsooth David came to the two hundred men, that were weary, and abided behind, and might not follow David; and he [had] commanded them to sit at the strand of Besor; which went out against David, and the people that was with him. Forsooth David nighed to the people, and he greeted it peaceably. (And David came back to the two hundred men who were weary, and had stayed behind, and did not follow David; and he had commanded them to remain there at the Besor Stream; and they went out to meet David, and the people who were with him. And David came to these men, and he greeted them warmly.)

1 Samuel 30:11-21 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.