# 1 Samuel 30 đź“–: David Defeats the Amalekites
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### David Defeats the Amalekites
> [!illustration] Thankfulness When in Trouble
> Scripture: 1 Samuel 30:1-6
> Summary: This is when David’s men want to kill him. Before doing anything, David “drew strength from the Lord.”
> Point: When facing difficulty, the first thing to do is turn to God. Our trust in God is our shield.
> Tags: #illustration #illustration/Worship #illustration/Thankfulness
> Used: [[Sermon- Unity (Sparta 2026)]]
[[#Verse 01.]]Â On the third day David and his men came to Ziklag. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it.Â
[[#Verse 02.]] They took captive the women and all who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way.
[[#Verse 03.]] When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] David’s two wives had been taken captive—Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] David was very upset, for the men were thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters. ==But David drew strength from the Lord his God.==
[[#Verse 07.]] Then David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
[[#Verse 08.]] David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!”
[[#Verse 09.]]Â So David went, accompanied by his 600 men. When he came to the Wadi Besor, those who were in the rear stayed there.
[[#Verse 10.]]Â David and 400 men continued the pursuit, but 200 men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] They gave him a slice of pressed figs and two bunches of raisins to eat. This greatly refreshed him, for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.Â
[[#Verse 13.]] David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” The young man said, “I am an Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me when I was ill for three days.Â
[[#Verse 14.]] We conducted a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the area of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag.”Â
[[#Verse 15.]] David said to him, “Can you take us down to this raiding party?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party.”
[[#Verse 16.]] So he took David down, and they found them spread out over the land. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves because of all the loot they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.Â
[[#Verse 17.]]Â But David struck them down from twilight until the following evening. None of them escaped, with the exception of 400 young men who got away on camels.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] David retrieved everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives.
[[#Verse 19.]] There was nothing missing, whether small or great. He retrieved sons and daughters, the plunder, and everything else they had taken. David brought everything back.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] David took all the flocks and herds and drove them in front of the rest of the animals. People were saying, “This is David’s plunder!”
[[#Verse 21.]] Then David approached the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him, those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Since they didn’t go with us, we won’t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!”
[[#Verse 23.]] But David said, “No! You shouldn’t do this, my brothers. Look at what the Lord has given us! He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us.Â
[[#Verse 24.]] Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!”
[[#Verse 25.]] From that time onward it was a binding ordinance for Israel, right up to the present time.
[[#Verse 26.]] When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah who were his friends, saying, “Here’s a gift for you from the looting of the Lord’s enemies!”Â
[[#Verse 27.]]Â The gift was for those in the following locations:Â for those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;Â
[[#Verse 28.]]Â for those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,
[[#Verse 29.]]Â and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites;Â
[[#Verse 30.]]Â for those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach,Â
[[#Verse 31.]] and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled.
[[#Verse 31]]Â and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
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###### Verse 31.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The Amalekites burned Ziklag while David was away with the Philistines (30:1).
2. The raiders took the women and children captive rather than killing them (30:2), probably to sell or use as slaves.
3. David's men were so bitter that they talked about stoning him (30:6).
4. David asked Abiathar to bring the ephod so he could seek the Lord's guidance (30:7-8).
5. Two hundred of David's men were too exhausted to cross the Besor Ravine (30:10).
6. The Egyptian slave had been abandoned by his Amalekite master and had gone three days without food or water (30:11-13).
7. David fought the Amalekites from twilight until the evening of the next day (30:17).
8. Four hundred Amalekites escaped on camels (30:17).
9. David's rule about sharing the spoil equally became a lasting statute in Israel (30:25).
10. David sent gifts from the plunder to the elders of Judah (30:26-31), strengthening ties with the people who would soon make him king.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Shepherd who recovers what the enemy stole. David pursued the raiders and recovered everything (30:18-19), and Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and generously shares His victory with His people (Ephesians 4:8).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. When everything was lost and his men turned on him, David found strength in the Lord his God (30:6). How do you find strength in God when life falls apart?
2. David stopped to care for an abandoned Egyptian slave (30:11-12). How did that act of kindness change the outcome?
3. David insisted that those who stayed with the supplies share equally in the reward (30:23-25). What does this teach about the value of every role on a team?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 6: David strengthens himself in the Lord his God.
- đź“– verse 8: David asks the Lord whether to pursue, and the Lord says he will succeed.
- đź“– verse 24: Those who stay with the supplies share equally with those who go into battle.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Psalm 18#Verse 01.|Psalm 18:1-3]] - The Lord is my rock and my deliverer.
- đź”— [[Habakkuk 03#Verse 17.|Habakkuk 3:17-19]] - Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.
- đź”— [[Numbers 31#Verse 27.|Numbers 31:27]] - The spoil is divided between warriors and the community.
- đź”— [[1 Corinthians 12#Verse 21.|1 Corinthians 12:21-26]] - Every member of the body matters.
- đź”— [[Luke 19#Verse 10.|Luke 19:10]] - Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[1 Samuel 30 - SOAP|The Lord is Always There]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes