1 Samuel 30

AND it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day To wit, after David's departure from Achish; for Ziklag was at a great distance from the Camp and place of Fight, as appears from 2 Sam. 1. 2. and David's men being all Foot-men, could make but slow Marches., that the Amalekites The remainders of that People who lived near those parts where David had destroyed their Brethren, chap. 27. 8, 9. had invaded the south To wit, the Southern part of Iudah, and the adjacent parts: See below, v. 14., and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag i. e. Sacked and spoiled it., and burnt it with fire:

And had taken the women captives that were therein: they slew not any Which was strange, considering how David dealt with them, chap. 27. 9. But this must be ascribed partly to their selfish or fleshly Interest: for they might reserve them, either to make Sale of them for their Profit, or to abuse them for their Lust; or, it may be, to revenge themselves upon David and his men, by reserving them to extraordinary, and lingring, and repeated punishments; but principally, to Gods over-ruling and wonderful Providence, who set these bounds to their Rage; and though he designed to chastise David's sin and folly, yet would not deliver him nor his up to death., either great or small, but carried them away, and went on theIr way.

¶ So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burnt with fire, and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives.

Then David and the people that were with him, lift up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep Till either the humour was wholly spent, or the consideration of their Calamity had made them stupid..

And Davids two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal, the Carmelite.

And David was greatly distressed: for the people spake of stoning him As the Author of their miseries, by coming to Ziklag at first, by provoking the Amalekites to this cruelty, by his forwardness in Marching away with Achish, and leaving their Wives and Children unguarded., because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons, and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God i. e. In this that the All-wise, and All-powerful Lord, was his God by Covenant-relation, and special Promise, and true and Fatherly affection, as he had showed himself to be in the whole course of his Providence towards him..

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelechs son, I pray thee bring me hither the ephod And put it upon thy self, that thou maist enquire of God according to his Ordinance, Numb. 27. 21. See above, chap. 23. 9. David was sensible of his former Error in neglecting to ask counsel of God by the Ephod, when he came to Achish, and when he went out with Achish to the Battel; and his necessity now brings him to his Duty, and his Duty meets with Success.: and Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all Before, God answered more slowly and gradually, chap. 23. 11, 12. but now he answers speedily, and fully at once, because the business here required more haste. So Gracious is our God, that he considers even the degree of our necessities, and accommodates himself to them..

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind, stayed.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men A small number for such an attempt: but David was strong in Faith, giving God the glory of his Power and Faithfulness.: (for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint, that they could not go over the brook Besor o).

¶ And they found an Egyptian in the field Whom by his Habit they guessed to be a Soldier that had been engaged in that expedition., and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat, and they made him drink water Partly, out of humanity and compassion to a perishing creature: and partly, in prudence, that by him they might learn the true state of their Enemies..

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drank any water, three days, and three nights Which is to be understood Synecdochically of one whole day and part of two others, as the same Phrase is taken Matth. 12. 40. as appears from the next Verse, where he says three days agone I fell sick, but in the Hebrew it is, this is the third day since I fell sick..

And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt God by his Providence so ordering it, that he was not one of that Cursed Race of the Amalekites, who were to be utterly destroyed, but an Egyptian, who might be spared., servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me In this place and condition: which was barbarous inhumanity: for he ought, and easily might have carried him away with the Prey which they had taken. But he paid dear for this cruelty, for this was the occasion of the ruin of him and of all their company And God by his secret Providence ordered the matter thus for that very end. So that there is no Fighting against God, who can make the smallest accidents serviceable to the production of the greatest effects., because three days agone I fell sick.

We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites i. e. The Philistines, as is manifest from v. 16. who are so called Zeph. 2. 5., and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb This is added by way of rejection: q. d. that part of the South of Iudah which belongs to Caleb's Posterity, Ios. 14. 13., and we burnt Ziklag with fire.

And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company For his Master had told him whither they intended to go, that he might come after them, as soon as he could..

¶ And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth Secure and careless, because they were now come almost to the Borders of their own Countrey, and the Philistines and Israelites both were otherwise engaged, and David, as they believed with them. So they had no visible cause of danger; and yet then they were nearest so their destruction., eating, and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

And David smote them from the tw... light The word signifies both the Morning and Evening twilight. But the latter seems here intended, partly because their Eating, and Drinking, and Dancing, was more customary and proper work for the Evening, than for the Morning; and partly, because the Evening was more convenient for David, that the fewness of his Forces might not be discovered by the Day-light. Object. It is not likely that David would fall upon the Amalekites before his Men, who had been tired with a long and hasty March, were refreshed. Answ. Nor is it said that he did. It is probable, that when he came near them, he reposed himself, and his Army, in some secret place, whereof there were ma... y in those parts, for a convenient Season; and then Marched on so as to come to them at the Evening time., even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men which rode upon camels, and fled.

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

And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

And David took all the flocks, and the herds To wit, which the Amalekites had taken from the Philistines or others.: which they drave before those other cattel Before those who belonged to Ziklag., and said. This is Davids spoil i. e. The Soldiers, who lately were so incensed against David, that they spake of Stoning him: now upon this success Magnifie him, and Triumphantly celebrate his Praise; and say concerning this spoil, David purchased by his Valour and Conduct, and he may dispose of it as he pleaseth..

¶ And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him To congratulate the Victory; which, it is probable, David had sent a Messenger to acquaint them with.; and when David came near to the people, he saluted them He spake kindly to them, and did not blame them because they went no further with them..

Then When those 200 men required, or expected a part of the Spoil; and they gathered from David's words and carriage, that he intended to give it to them. answered all the wicked men, and men of Belial So he calls them for their covetousness, and injustice, and churlishness to their brethren. By which Expressions we may judge, how hainous and odious those Sins are in Gods sight. of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us Which was from their impotency; not by choice, or design. Herein therefore was their iniquity and unreasonableness, they would punish them for no fault., we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife, and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren He useth his Power and Authority to over-rule them; but manageth it with all sweetness, calling them Brethren; not only as of the same Nation and Religion with him, but as his fellow-Soldiers., with that which the LORD has given us What he has freely imparted to us, we should not unkindly and injuriously with-hold from our Brethren., who has preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us, into our hand.

For who will hearken unto you in this matter What wise or just man will be of your opinion in this matter?? but as his part is that goeth down to the battel, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike A prudent and equitable Constitution, and therefore practised by the Romans, as Polybius and others note. The Reason of it is manifest; because they were exposed to hazards, as well as their Brethren: and were a Reserve to whom they might retreat in case of a Defeat; and they were now in actual Service, and in the station in which their General had placed them..

And it was so from that day that he made it a statute, and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

¶ And when David came to Zi... lag he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah Partly in gratitude for their former favour to him: and partly, in Policy, to engage their Affections to him now, when he apprehended Saul's Death near., even to his friends (saying, Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD He intimates, that though he was fled to the Philistines, yet he imployed not his Forces against the Israelites, as, no doubt, Saul's Courtiers and Soldiers reported that he designed; but only against Gods Enemies.)

To them which were in Beth... el In Kiriath-jearim, where the Ark was, 1 Sam. 10. 3., and to them which were in south-Ramoth A City in the Tribe of Simeon, Jos. 19. 8. so called by way of distinction, from Ramoth in Gilead, which was more Northward, 1 King. 22. 12., and to them which were in Jatter Of which, see Ios. 15. 48.,

And to them which were in Aroer Not that beyond Iordan, Numb. 32. 34. as many think; which was too remote from David: but another Place of that Name in Iudah, where the rest of the Places here named were: This being one of those places where David and his men were wont to haunt, as is expressed v. 31., and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,

And to them which were in Rhachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,

And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach,

And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself, and his men were wont to haunt Or, to go. Whither they used to resort in the time of Saul's Persecution, either to hide themselves in some of their Territories; or, to get Provision from thence..