The big picture
1 Samuel 30 opens in verse 1 with “And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 16 with “And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth…”, and closes in verse 31 with “And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men…” Repeated or prominent terms include David, spoil, people, taken, Ziklag. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
1 Samuel · King James Version · 311 Samuel 30:1-8
1–8: It came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third…
1 Samuel 30:1–8 opens with “And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the…” and reaches “And David enquired at the LORD , saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Samuel 30 develops its own movement around David, spoil, people, taken, Ziklag, with particular weight carried by David, captives, people.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
1 Samuel 30:1-8
King James Version1And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6And David was greatly distressed; for the people 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.
7And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8And 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.
1 Samuel 30:9-16
9–16: So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came…
1 Samuel 30:9–16 opens with “So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where…” and reaches “And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Samuel 30 develops its own movement around David, spoil, people, taken, Ziklag, with particular weight carried by David, behind, Besor.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made…” Naming David and Egyptian keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
1 Samuel 30:9-16
King James Version9So 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.
10But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
11And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
12And 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 drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
14We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15And 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.
16And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, 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.
1 Samuel 30:17-24
17–24: David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next…
1 Samuel 30:17–24 opens with “And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped…” and reaches “For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Samuel 30 develops its own movement around David, spoil, people, taken, Ziklag, with particular weight carried by David, recovered, spoil.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them…” The number four makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any…” Naming David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
1 Samuel 30:17-24
King James Version17And David smote them from the twilight 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.
18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19And 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.
20And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
21And 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: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22Then 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 wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
23Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
24For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
1 Samuel 30:25-31
25–31: It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an…
1 Samuel 30:25–31 opens with “And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto…” and reaches “And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Samuel 30 develops its own movement around David, spoil, people, taken, Ziklag, with particular weight carried by cities, David, spoil.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a…” Naming David and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
1 Samuel 30:25-31
King James Version25And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD ;
27To them which were in Beth-el, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
28And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
29And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
30And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach,
31And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
1 Samuel 30:1 begins with “And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten…”
Where the chapter turns
1 Samuel 30:15 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
1 Samuel 30:31 leaves the reader with “And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words David, spoil, people, taken, Ziklag, LORD help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Who receives too little attention in a simplified family tree?
Bilhah and Zilpah, named women whose children are counted in Jacob's family.
How does the narrator explain Rachel's conception?
God remembers and hears her in verse 22, rather than attributing the result to the mandrakes.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.