Bible Chapter Summary
1 Samuel 30 Summary
David Recovers the Captives from Amalek
Upon returning to Ziklag, David finds it burned and his wives and all the people's families taken captive by the Amalekites. David inquires of the LORD and is told to pursue. He follows with four hundred men, finds an Egyptian slave of an Amalekite, and the man guides him to the enemy camp. David defeats the Amalekites from twilight to the next evening, recovers all the captives and spoil, and establishes a statute that those who guard the supplies share equally in the spoil with those who fight.
Key themes
Key verses
1 Samuel 30:8
“And David inquired 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 30:17-18
“And 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.”
1 Samuel 30:23-24
“Then 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.”
1 Samuel 30:26
“And 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;”
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