Bible Commentaries

1 Samuel 30. Amalekite Raid on Ziklag.—Cf. above.

1 Samuel 30:1-6. On reaching Ziklag, David found that the Amalekites had sacked the town and carried off the families and property of himself and his followers. Apparently he had taken his whole force to Achish, leaving Ziklag without any adequate garrison.

1 Samuel 30:7-20. Encouraged by an oracle from Yahweh, David went in pursuit, probably southwards, overtook the raiders, annihilated them all but 400, and recovered the captives and the spoil.

1 Samuel 30:14. Cherethites: a tribe in the South or Negeb (cf. 1 Samuel 27:10), probably akin to the Philistines (p. 56.)

1 Samuel 30:17. of the next day: a copyist's mistake; it is uncertain what the original reading was, but we may be sure that the slaughter only lasted "from twilight even unto the evening."—twilight: evening twilight.

1 Samuel 30:20. As it stands, this verse states that David appropriated all the recovered cattle, which would not be consistent either with custom, policy, or David's character. The text and translation are hopelessly obscure and corrupt. Probably the verse in its original form stated that David not only recovered what had been lost, but also saptured much other spoil.

1 Samuel 30:21-25. During the pursuit 200 men had become too exhausted to keep up, and had been left behind. It was decided that they should share equally in the spoil. This became a precedent, and was the origin of the custom that those who guarded the camp and the baggage should share equally in the spoil with those who did the fighting.

1 Samuel 30:26-31. Out of the spoil David sent presents to the authorities of the various places he had frequented during his outlawry. They seem to have all been in the Negeb, from Hebron southwards.