1 Samuel 30:12 Komentář

When David was dismissed from the army of the Philistines he did not go over to the camp of Israel, but, being expelled by Saul, observed an exact neutrality, and silently retired to his own city Ziklag, leaving the armies ready to engage. Now here we are told, I. What a melancholy posture he found the city in, all laid waste by the Amalekites, and what distress it occasioned him and his men (Sa1 30:1-6). II. What course he took to recover what he had lost. He enquired of God, and took out a commission from him (Sa1 30:7, Sa1 30:8), pursued the enemy (Sa1 30:9, Sa1 30:10), gained intelligence from a straggler (Sa1 30:11-15), attacked and routed the plunderers (Sa1 30:16, Sa1 30:17), and recovered all that they had carried off (Sa1 30:18-20). III. What method he observed in the distribution of the spoil (Sa1 30:21-31).

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 30 This chapter relates the condition Ziklag was in when David and his men came to it, the city burnt, and their families carried captive by the Amalekites, which occasioned not only a general lamentation, but mutiny and murmuring in David's men, Sa1 30:1; the inquiry David made of the Lord what he should do, who is bid to pursue the enemy; and being directed by a lad where they were, fell upon them, and routed them, and brought back the captives with a great spoil, Sa1 30:7; the distribution of the spoil, both to those that went with him, and to those who through faintness were left behind, Sa1 30:21; and the presents of it he sent to several places in the tribe of Judah, who had been kind to him when he dwelt among them, Sa1 30:26.

And they gave him a piece of cake of figs,.... That were dried and pressed together, and made into cakes: and two clusters of raisins; or dried grapes, as the Targum: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; he seemed to be quite dispirited, almost lifeless, but upon eating some food he was refreshed, and his spirits revived, and he was capable of conversing: for he had eaten no bread, nor drank any water, three days and three nights; that is, one whole day, and part of two days, as appears from Sa1 30:13.

The poor and the feeble, the blind and the lame, are called and come because the weak and the despised in this world are often quicker to hear the voice of God, as in this world they have nothing to delight them.The Egyptian servant of the Amalekites is a good example of this. When the Amalekites were plundering and moving about, he was left behind on the road sick and fainting from hunger and thirst. When David found him, he provided him with food and drink, and as soon as he revived he became David’s guide, found the celebrating Amalekites, and with great bravery overthrew the people who had left him behind sick. Amalekite means “a people that laps.” What does “a people that laps” signify but the hearts of the worldly? Going about after the things of earth, it is as if they are lapping them up when they take delight in temporal things alone. A lapping people takes plunder, so to speak, when out of its love for earthly things it heaps up profit from others’ losses. The Egyptian servant is left behind on the road sick, because all sinners, once they begin to grow weak from the situation of this world, soon come to be despised by worldly minds. David found him and provided him with food and drink, because the Lord, who is “brave in hand” (if we attribute to him the meaning of David’s name), does not despise what the world has cast aside. Often he directs to the grace of his love those who are not strong enough to follow the world, and who are, so to speak, left behind on the road, holding out to them the food and drink of his word. It is as if he chooses them as guides for himself on the road when he makes them his preachers. When they bring Christ to the hearts of sinners, it is as if they are leading David upon the enemy, and, like David, they strike the celebrating Amalekites with the sword, because by the Lord’s power they overthrow all the proud who had despised them in the world.

Who, when he had eaten, etc. When he had received the nourishment of the true faith, he also received the confidence of mind by which he would hope to obtain the grace of mercy.

While David is absent with the army of Achish, the Amalekites invade Ziklag, and burn it with fire, and carry away captive David's wives, and those of his men, Sa1 30:1, Sa1 30:2. David and his men return; and, finding the desolate state of their city, are greatly affected, Sa1 30:3-5. The men mutiny, and threaten to stone David, who encourages himself in the Lord, Sa1 30:6. David inquires of the Lord, and is directed to pursue the Amalekites, with the promise that he shall recover all, Sa1 30:7, Sa1 30:8. He and his men begin the pursuit, but two hundred, through fatigue are obliged to stay behind at the brook Besor, Sa1 30:9, Sa1 30:10. They find a sick Egyptian, who directs them in their pursuit, Sa1 30:11-15. David finds the Amalekites secure, feasting on the spoils they had taken; he attacks and destroys the whole host, except four hundred, who escape on camels, Sa1 30:16, Sa1 30:17. The Israelites recover their wives, their families, and all their goods, Sa1 30:18-20. They come to the two hundred who were so faint as not to be able to pursue the enemy, with whom they divide the spoil; and this becomes a statute in Israel, Sa1 30:21-25. David sends part of the spoil which he had taken to different Jewish cities, which had suffered by the incursion of the Amalekites; and where David and his men had been accustomed to resort, Sa1 30:26-31.

A cake of figs - See on Sa1 25:18 (note).

THE AMALEKITES SPOIL ZIKLAG. (Sa1 30:1-5) Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag--While the strength of the Philistine forces was poured out of their country into the plain of Esdraelon, the Amalekite marauders seized the opportunity of the defenseless state of Philistia to invade the southern territory. Of course, David's town suffered from the ravages of these nomad plunderers, in revenge for his recent raid upon their territory.