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 Ziklag, and burned it with fire; Ver. 1. _Were come to Ziklag on the third day._] For so long they were in coming from the camp of the Philistines. Se... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 2. _And had taken the women captives._] Perhaps out of covetousness to make prize of them. This is likewise the practice of seducers. 2 Timothy 3:6 2... [ Continue Reading ]
So 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. Ver. 3. _And, behold, it was burned with fire._] Such is the woe and the waste of war. And now David was at his worst, - this sad accident was wo... [ Continue Reading ]
Then David and the people that [were] with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. Ver. 4. _Lifted up their voice, and wept._] Wept their utmost. They held not that stoical apathy, but testified their great grief for their sins and their sufferings by a flood of te... [ Continue Reading ]
And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. Ver. 5. And David's two wives were taken captives.] This was a very great aggravation of his grief; for good wives are rare commodities, their price is above that of rubies. Pro 31:10 W... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 6. _And David was greatly distressed._] So that he knew not which way to look,... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 7. _I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod._] Some other times, when he should, he called not for it; but proceeded only upon his own head. Now being... [ Continue Reading ]
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 recover [all]. Ver. 8. Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them.] The mouth and ears of God, shut to Saul, are open... [ Continue Reading ]
So 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. Ver. 9. _He and the six hundred men._] Mighty men, and chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field, 2Sa 17:8 of redoubted and redoubled resol... [ Continue Reading ]
But 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. Ver. 10. _He and four hundred men._] For those six hundred were too many for God to work by, as Judges 7:4. He delighteth to help his people "with a little help... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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; Ver. 11. _And they found an Egyptian in the field._] Cast off, sick and ready to perish, by his cruel master - much unlike that good centurion in the gospel - but pr... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 12. _And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs._] All this they did for him out of the... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 13. _And my master left me, because three days agone._] He should the rather have looked to... [ Continue Reading ]
We 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. Ver. 14. _Upon the south of the Cherethites,_] _i.e., _ Of the Philistines. 1Sa 30:16 See Eze 21:15 Zephaniah 2:5. Some think the Cr... [ Continue Reading ]
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 hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. Ver. 15. _That thou wilt neither kill me._] For a traitor to mine own company,... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 16. _And when he had brought him down._] For he knew by... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _From the twilight even unto the evening of the next day._] Heb., Of their morrow, _i.e., _ of David's men's mor... [ Continue Reading ]
And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. Ver. 18. _All that the Amalekites._] _Non nisi cum faenore._ rescued his two wives.] Who might be vexed, but not violated, and now were double endeared to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 19. _And there was nothing lacking to them._] Here the end was better than the beginning: as the contrary befell the Amal... [ Continue Reading ]
And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drave before those [other] cattle, and said, This [is] David's spoil. Ver. 20. _And David took all the flocks,_] _i.e., _ All the rest of the flocks and herds which the enemy had pillaged from other places. And said, This is David's spoil.]... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 21. _That t... [ Continue Reading ]
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 wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away, and depart. Ver. 22. _Of thos... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 23. _Ye shall not do so, my brethren._] So they were by place and race, but not by grace; but he hoped they might becom... [ Continue Reading ]
For 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. Ver. 24. _For who will hearken unto you?_] Who that is unbiassed and impartial? Who that hath any ingenuity? &c. _ But as hi... [ Continue Reading ]
And it was [so] from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. Ver. 25. _That he made it a statute,_] _i.e., _ He revived and ratified it as most reasonable. The truth is, that all God's laws are grounded upon so much good reason, that though he had neve... [ Continue Reading ]
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; Ver. 26. _He sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah._] Thereby to show his _liberalitas muneraria,_ and so to make them... [ Continue Reading ]
To [them] which [were] in Bethel, and to [them] which [were] in south Ramoth, and to [them] which [were] in Jattir, Ver. 27. _To them which were in Bethel._] Or, At God's house, _i.e., _ at Kirjathjearim, where the ark now was. See 1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:3 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And to [them] which [were] in Aroer, and to [them] which [were] in Siphmoth, and to [them] which [were] in Eshtemoa, Ver. 28. _In Siphmoth._] Alias Shephum.... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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, Ver. 29. _Cities of the Kenites._] Jethro's offspring, ever friendly to the godly party.... [ Continue Reading ]
And to [them] which [were] in Hormah, and to [them] which [were] in Chorashan, and to [them] which [were] in Athach, Ver. 30. _Chorashan._] Called also Ashan. Jos 19:7... [ Continue Reading ]
And to [them] which [were] in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt. Ver. 31. _Were wont to haunt._] When they fled and hid from Saul, everywhere they found friends. So did the Waldenses in the worst of times. From Mentz in Germany, to Milan in Italy, they... [ Continue Reading ]