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.
Read it in contextDavid Destroys the Amalekites
Start reading at 1 Samuel 30:7 (1 Samuel 30:7 to 1 Samuel 30:20).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
David's movements as a fugitive contrast with Saul's decline, and the book ends with Saul's death in battle.
30:7And 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.
30:8And 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.
30:9So 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.
30:10But 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.
30:11And 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;
30:12And 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.
30:13And 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.
30:14We 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.
30:15And 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.
30:16And 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.
30:17And 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.
30:18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
30:19And 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.
30:20And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Tradition associates Samuel with the earlier material and Nathan and Gad with its continuation. Samuel dies during the narrative, so he did not write the complete account; the final compiler is unknown. Biblical references: 1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Chronicles 29:29. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). traditionally held
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (1 Samuel 29:1–30:31): David, Achish, the Philistine commanders, and David's men are involved in his dismissal from the campaign and the recovery of the captives taken from Ziklag. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? Israelite readers considering the rise of the monarchy and the transition from Saul to David. A more exact first readership cannot be established. Biblical references: 1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Samuel 31:6. book background
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? David Destroys the Amalekites. Read 1 Samuel 30:7 through 1 Samuel 30:20 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? David's movements as a fugitive contrast with Saul's decline, and the book ends with Saul's death in battle. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? The narrative spans Samuel's upbringing, Israel's request for a king, Saul's reign, and David's emergence before Saul's death. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? Events occur at Shiloh, among Israel's towns, in Philistine territory, and in places of David's flight. The chapter identifies the immediate setting. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in David Destroys the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:7 to 1 Samuel 30:20).
Start reading at 1 Samuel 30:7. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? Acts 13 connects Samuel, Saul, and David with the subsequent coming of Jesus from David's seed. David's anointing belongs to that historical line; it does not turn every conflict into a direct messianic prediction. See Acts 13:20, Acts 13:21, Acts 13:22, Acts 13:23. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Evaluate leadership by hearing and obeying God rather than appearance or initial success. David's restraint toward Saul can be considered with its narrated reasons rather than generalized into approval of wrongdoing by leaders. interpretation
Cited: 1 Samuel 30:7, 1 Samuel 30:20, Acts 13:20, Acts 13:21, Acts 13:22, Acts 13:23
Who wrote it, and how we know
Samuel, with Nathan and Gad (traditional)From early tradition
What Scripture saysThe book does not name its author. Chronicles refers to written records of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. 1 Chronicles 29:29
Early traditionJewish tradition credits Samuel, with Nathan and Gad continuing after his death.
What is debatedSamuel dies partway through the account, so he cannot have written all of it. The final form is later.
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of 1 Samuel 30
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
First Samuel follows the transition from the judges to kingship and the rise of David during Saul's reign. It records Samuel's death before the book ends; attributing every line to Samuel would therefore exceed the narrative's evidence. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Connection to the wholeThis opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. David's movements as a fugitive contrast with Saul's decline, and the book ends with Saul's death in battle.
Connection to the wholeThis unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. David's movements as a fugitive contrast with Saul's decline, and the book ends with Saul's death in battle.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of 1 Samuel
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
First Samuel follows the transition from the judges to kingship and the rise of David during Saul's reign. It records Samuel's death before the book ends; attributing every line to Samuel would therefore exceed the narrative's evidence.
Connection to the wholeSamuel's upbringing and calling stand beside the failures of Eli's house and the ark narrative, leading to Israel's return to the LORD.
Connection to the wholeThe establishment of kingship is followed by Saul's failures, and the LORD's rejection of his kingship prepares the choice of David.