30:1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to
Ziklag on a the third day, that the Amalekites had
invaded the south, and Ziklag, and b smitten Ziklag, and
burned it with fire;
(a) After that he departed from Achish.
(b) That is, destroyed their city.
30:3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it
was] burned with fire; and their c wives, and their sons,
and their daughters, were taken captives.
(c) For those only remained in the city, when the men were
gone to war.
30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people d spake
of stoning him, 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.
(d) Thus we see that in trouble and adversity we do not
consider God's providence, but like raging beasts
forget both our own duty and contemn God's appointment
over us.
30:8 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 e recover [all].
(e) Though God seem to leave us for a time, yet if we trust
in him, we will be sure to find comfort.
30:11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him
to David, and gave him f bread, and he did eat; and they
made him drink water;
(f) God by his providence both provides for the needs of
the poor stranger, and made him a guide to David to
accomplish his enterprise.
30:15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this
company? And he said, g 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.
(g) For others were in all ages held in most reverence,
even among the heathen.
30:16 And when he had brought him down, behold, [they were]
spread abroad upon all the earth, (h) 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.
(h) The wicked in their pomp and pleasures do not consider
the judgment of God, which is then at hand to smite
them.
30:17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the
evening i of the next day: and there escaped not a man
of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon
camels, and fled.
(i) Some read, and to the morrow of the two evenings, that
is, three days.
30:20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they
drave before those [other] cattle, and said, This [is]
David's k spoil.
(k) Which the Amalekites had taken from others, and David
from them, besides the goods of Ziklag.
30:22 Then answered all the wicked men and [men] of Belial, of
those that went with David, and said, Because they went
not with us, we will not give them [ought] of the spoil
that we have recovered, save to every man his l wife and
his children, that they may lead [them] away, and depart.
(l) Under these are understood the cattle and goods, which
belonged to every man.
30:25m And it was [so] from that day forward, that he made it
a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
(m) Some refer these words to David, that he alleged an
old custom and law, as if it were written, it is both
now, and ever has been.
30:31 And to [them] which [were] in Hebron, and n to all the
places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
(n) Showing himself mindful of their benefits towards him.
