1 Samuel 30:16

16 And when he had conducted 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 from the land of the Philistines, and from the land of Judah.

1 Samuel 30:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 30:16

And when he had brought him down
To the place where the company of the Amalekites were, or near it:

behold, [they were] spread abroad upon all the earth;
they were not in any regular order, and much less in any military form, but lay about in the fields, scattered here and there, were in detached parties:

some eating and drinking;
in one place:

and dancing;
others, in another place, expressing their joy, and perhaps their thankfulness to their idols

because of the great spoil they had taken out of the land of the
Philistines, and out of the land of Judah;
from Ziklag, and from the south of the Cherethites, and the south of Judah, they had invaded, ( 1 Samuel 30:14 ) ; and here they were in the greatest security; knowing: that the armies of the Philistines were gone into the land of Israel, and were about to engage in battle with the Israelites, and David they supposed was with the Philistines, so that they had nothing to fear from any quarter; and thus it is often, that when men cry peace, peace, sudden destruction comes upon them.

1 Samuel 30:16 In-Context

14 We 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.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou conduct me down to this company? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will lead thee down to this company.

16 And when he had conducted 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 from the land of the Philistines, and from the land of Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.